Saving Seafood

SOUTH CAROLINA: South Carolina anglers to get longer red snapper season under new permits

May 12, 2026 — South Carolina anglers will have a much longer window to reel in red snapper this summer after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration approved state permits for the 2026 recreational season at the beginning of this month.

Sen. Stephen Goldfinch said the approval means anglers will now have 61 to 62 days to fish for red snapper off South Carolina’s coast and in federal waters, rather than the prior 1 to 2 days.

The permits allow the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to pilot a program to collect data on how many fish are targeted, harvested and released.

Read the full article at WPDE

SOUTH CAROLINA: South Carolina legislature approves two versions of shrimp labeling law

May 7, 2026 — Both bodies of the South Carolina state legislature have passed a bill requiring country-of-origin labeling for all shrimp sales in the state, though differences between the two versions will need to be sorted out before the bill becomes law.

On 14 April, the South Carolina House of Representatives passed HB4248, legislation requiring all shrimp sold in the state to have a clear label noting its country of origin.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Right whale births reported highest since 2009

April 29, 2026 — Whale researchers report endangered North Atlantic right whales have completed their most successful calving season since 2009, with 23 mother-calf pairs to help rebuild a population estimated at only about 380 animals.

The annual calving season off the southeastern United States, from the Carolinas to Georgia and Florida, runs from mid-November until mid-April and is closely monitored by aerial survey teams.

Scientists with the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium track the season closely. In an April 29 statement they reported there were shorter intervals between calving for the majority of the adult female whales.

“While a healthy right whale can give birth every three to four years, we had been seeing nearly 10 years between calves for some females. Many of this year’s moms have had shorter intervals—18 of them previously gave birth within the last six years—giving us hope that they may be healthier and can help grow the population faster,” said Amy Warren, scientific program officer for the Anderson Cabot Center.

Read the full article at WorkBoat

States could net control of red snapper season

February 17, 2026 — The Trump administration is taking steps toward shifting regulatory authority over red snapper in Atlantic Ocean federal waters to states, a move that some state leaders have argued is necessary to sustain their sportfishing economies.

NOAA Fisheries announced Wednesday it would open a 25-day comment period on “exempted fishing permits” for Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

The permits would allow the states to “test new data collection methods and strategies for state-led management of the recreational red snapper fishery,” the agency said.

Read the full article at E&E News

Debate grows over NOAA plan to expand snapper access

February 13, 2026 — Today, NOAA Fisheries announced that they are accepting public comments on applications for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

These permits propose to extend recreational fishing seasons for vulnerable red snapper in the South Atlantic. Overfishing drove the red snapper population to just 11 percent of its historical abundance; in response, seasons were reduced as part of a rebuilding plan set to last through 2044.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NOAA leaps forward on collaborative approach for red snapper

February 11, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries announced today a major collaborative step toward boosting red snapper recreational fishing opportunities in the South Atlantic. The agency invites public comments on applications for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The EFPs are designed to test new data collection methods and strategies for state-led management of the recreational red snapper fishery.

This 25-day public comment period marks an important step in NOAA’s review and consideration of management strategies for the recreational harvest of red snapper, which will balance sustainability and economic benefits. These actions are also expected to increase opportunities for American recreational fishermen.

Read the full article at NOAA 

SOUTH CAROLINA: South Carolina DNR proposes longer Red Snapper season, moving data regulation to state level

November 17, 2025 — After years of concerns, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is asking for a change in the red snapper season that it says would benefit both fishermen and the economy.

Fishermen in South Carolina are currently only allowed to go after red snappers for two days in July. Local marine wildlife officials said those limitations are based on unreliable data.

“As our application notes, Marine Recreational Information Program catch estimates of red snapper regularly carry standard errors exceeding 50%, making them unreliable and not suitable for use and management,” DNR chief Tom Mullikin said.

The DNR proposal, in partnership with state Sen. Stephen Goldfinch of Murrells Inlet, the South Carolina Boating and Fishing Alliance and the Coastal Conservation Association South Carolina, would not put data collection in the hands of the state and extend the season to 61 or 62 days.

Read the full article at WBTM

SOUTH CAROLINA: Pair of North Atlantic right whales spotted off Hilton Head

November 11, 2025 –Two North Atlantic right whales, one of the most endangered species of large whale, made an appearance off the coast.

On Nov. 5, WhaleMap reported a definite sighting of two right whales in South Carolina waters, part of the species’ calving area. This calving area is one of the two critical habitats for North Atlantic right whales, designated by NOAA Fisheries.

Right whales once boasted a population of as many as 21,000 in the North Atlantic, according to Oceana. Now, they number roughly 384 as of 2024, per an annual estimate from the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium.

“While it’s experienced a very, very slight increase over recent years, they’re still in such peril that even a single human-caused death of a North Atlantic right whale threatens the recovery of the species and its chance at avoiding extinction,” said Michelle Bivins, field representative for Oceana in the Carolinas.

Read the full article at The Post and Courier

Judge dismisses lawsuit claiming South Carolina restaurants sold imported shrimp under false claims it was local

November 5, 2025 — A federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit brought by the South Carolina Shrimpers Association, which alleged that local restaurants had violated federal and state law in selling imported shrimp.

“We are incredibly disappointed that a judge dismissed our ‘Shrimpgate’ lawsuit, denying us the chance to present the undisputed DNA evidence of shrimp fraud in the Lowcountry,” the association said in a statement. “This ruling hurts shrimpers, consumers, and the many honest restaurants that work hard to serve you real local shrimp. Once again, it feels like big money is winning over the truth.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Southern states ask US government to hand over control of red snapper management

October 29, 2025 — Officials from three Southern states are again asking the U.S. federal government to cede its regulatory authority over red snapper fishing in the South Atlantic Ocean to state governments, arguing that more local control of the species will be better for the fisheries.

While the South Atlantic red snapper fishery is federally designated as subject to overfishing, recreational fishers claim the fish population is far greater than official numbers, and state representatives and officials have resisted all efforts to limit fishing.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource