The South Atlantic red snapper fishery has been a frustrating debacle for anglers for well more than a decade. Despite a population that has been declared the most robust in recent history, recreational seasons have been measured in days…sometimes a single day. In 2025, the season was just two days and NOAA Fisheries was promoting plans to close the bottom in some areas to prevent any take of red snapper, even as bycatch!

Recognizing the flaws with federal management of red snapper, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina submitted proposals for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP). The permits would allow the states to test data collection and management improvements that would significantly increase recreational access to Atlantic red snapper this year, with Florida planning a 39-day season while the other states propose 62-day seasons.

NOAA Fisheries has opened a public comment period for these EFP proposals. This gives anglers the chance to leave feedback in support of these proposals and explain how their communities would benefit from them. Click the Take Action button to be taken to the comment page, and feel free to use the talking points below to add to your own views and experience in lending your support to these state management proposals:

TAKE ACTION NOW

• I support approval of the South Atlantic state EFPs to test data collection and management strategies for Atlantic red snapper.
• The Atlantic red snapper population is the healthiest it has been in decades. The EFPs would help break the cycle of extreme access limitations for this abundant fishery while testing much needed data collection improvements.
• Federal management of red snapper has been based on inaccurate catch and effort estimates from the Marine Recreational Information Program, which is ineffective for tracking Atlantic red snapper catches.
• The states propose recreational data collection improvements that would provide critical baseline data to better inform future management decisions.
• Longer recreational red snapper seasons better balance conservation with harvest opportunities and will benefit anglers by significantly increasing harvest opportunities compared to NOAA’s two-day season in 2025.

The comment period ends March 10 so please act now and spread the word to your fishing family members and friends!