A fishery that has been closed for three years now due to over-fishing is set to re-open in September of 2012. The South Atlantic Marine Fisheries Council (SAMFC) met in June of 2012 and discussed the options of a short season for Red Snapper in the South Atlantic. The SAMFC recommended to NOAA Fisheries that a limited harvest period be permitted on the east coast. The season will consist of two, three day weekends for recreational anglers, along with a small commercial harvest. CCA supported the opening if doing so would not delay the rebuilding plan or do harm to the stock. CCA told the Council that this fishery is a good candidate for management as primarily a recreational fishery in the South Atlantic, and that the greatest overall benefit to the country would be achieved by allocating most, if not all, of the catch to the recreational fishery.
NOAA Fisheries set the new recreational fishing season to open for two consecutive weekends made up of Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. This season pertains to the South Atlantic Ocean only. The recreational red snapper season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 14, 2012, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 17, 2012; the season then reopens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 21, 2012, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 24, 2012. During the open recreational season, the bag limit is one fish per person per day and there is no minimum size limit for the red snapper.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and its research institute (FWRI) will be very involved in data collection on the east coast of Florida. The FWRI is asking that recreational fishermen help with the data as they fish for Red Snapper in the Atlantic Ocean. The FWRI has set up drop off locations along the coast for red snapper carcasses. The Institute will gather critical data from the carcasses, such as age and growth rates, along with the overall health of the fishery. Please do your part for the fishery and instead of throwing the carcass out put them back on ice and take the carcasses to one of the confirmed drop off locations along the east coast of Florida. For a list of these and any other locations that have been added please click here. Officers and staff of CCA urge each of you to assist in this data collection, and do not see any negative effect to the recreational fisherman for providing your assistance.
–– Source: Coastal Conservation Association Florida
