June 13, 2025 — A Volusia County charter fishing company that helped lead the charge in extending the Atlantic red snapper season said the fight is far from over. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made a ruling that allows for a one-day extension and removes the consideration to close all bottom fishing for three months.
Haley Stephens, owner of Sea Spirit Fishing Charter in Ponce Inlet, has been meeting with government agencies about this issue for the last year.
“What we’re seeing on the water is just a record abundance of these fish, so to hear that it’s being overfished raises the question of what in the world is going on,” said Stephens.