South Atlantic States Unveil Road Map to Red Snapper Management
A tumultuous chapter in red snapper management history is set to come to an end for Georgia after all four South Atlantic states filed exempted fishing permit applications this week outlining plans to take over data collection and management of their recreational sectors.
Red snapper has been the center of a firestorm of controversy in recent years as recreational fishing seasons have been limited to one or two days – and often closed entirely – despite the population being larger than any time in recorded history. South Atlantic red snapper is currently managed by NOAA Fisheries through the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Unnecessary federal restrictions arise from high levels of uncertainty in recreational catch data collected by the federal government.
“This is a fantastic development that we have been working on for a long time,” said Russell Kent, CCA Georgia Government Relations Advisory chairman. “The exempted fishing permit process is the first step off the roller coaster of non-sensical angling regulations. We applaud the work done by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to prepare for this moment and we look forward to working with the state to enhance public access to this fishery.”
Each state submitted plans for season lengths and methods of gathering recreational harvest data that will be used to stay within red snapper quotas. Georgia’s exempted fishing permit (EFP) outlines plans for a 61- or 62-day season that would allow a harvest of one red snapper per person with no length limit. The state’s data collection program includes mandatory reporting requirements to ensure accurate and timely data on harvest as well as discards.
“We recognize that taking on this important new role is not easy or cheap, and so we have been working for the past 18 months to ensure that the Georgia Department of Natural Resources will have the resources to take the lead role in managing the recreational sector,” said CCA Georgia Chairman Robert Hale. “We are prepared to be partners with our state agency in every possible way to ensure that this project succeeds.”
Earlier this year, CCA Georgia worked in support of HB 443 which proposed a new annual “Reef/Migratory Fish Endorsement” for Georgia recreational fishing licenses, costing $10 for residents and $20 for non-residents. The revenue generated by this endorsement, estimated at $500,000 annually, would have funded a state-based data collection system on an ongoing basis. Although that bill failed to advance on the last day of the legislature, one-time funding was included in the CY26 state budget which will allow the Coastal Resources Division to move forward with a state-based data collection system until sustaining legislation can be approved. Additionally, Yamaha Marine is providing significant financial support for modification of a reporting app that will be used by Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Florida already has its State Reef Fish Survey in place to collect data.
“As we have seen in the Gulf, this seismic shift in the management of our offshore fisheries has huge potential, and it is an opportunity to finally get it right,” said CCA Georgia Executive Director Hillari Jones. “We fought very hard to get here, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure that the state has what it needs to do the job of managing recreational fisheries better than the federal government has ever done. This is an exciting moment for anglers in our region.”
