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Home : Marine Fisheries : Reef Fish : Snapper Fishery Information : |
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Snapper Fishery Information |
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There are New Red
Snapper Regulations for all waters of the
For more information, visit the Gulf red snapper page. Atlantic Ocean Red Snapper in the Atlantic Ocean have been shown to be overfished (low population abundance) and undergoing overfishing (excessive fishing rate) according to the recent stock assessment completed in early 2008. Federal regulations stipulate that these conditions require action to substantially reduce the level of harvest. This may mean significant regulation changes for Red Snapper harvest in the Atlantic in 2009. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will address this issue at their November 30 - December 5, 2008 meeting in Wilmington, NC. The FWC will monitor and actively participate in these deliberations and may address any potential regulation changes for state waters following the Council's actions.
For more information, visit the South Atlantic Council website at www.safmc.net.
The South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council adopted generic regulation changes affecting Vermilion Snapper in federal waters off Florida's east coast at their September 2008 meeting but implementation of these regulations are on hold. Any potential changes in regulations will be addressed at the November 30 - December 5 South Atlantic Council meeting following a review of recent information about the condition of the stock. The most recent completed stock assessment indicates that overfishing (i.e., excessive rate of fishing) is occurring. Current fishing mortality is estimated at more than 2 times the maximum allowable rate to sustain the fishery for the long-term. However, a review of the stock assessment is underway and a Review Workshop will be held during October 20-24 in Savannah, GA. Results of this review will be discussed at the next South Atlantic Council meeting and could result in regulation changes. Current regulations for vermilion snapper on the Atlantic coast include a 12-inch minimum size limit for recreational and commercial fisheries and a 10-fish recreational bag limit. Changes to regulations could include a lower recreational bag limit and a seasonal closure. The commercial harvest quota is also likely to be reduced. The FWC is actively participating in the rule-making process and may address any potential regulation changes for state waters following the Council's actions. For further details on proposed changes, review the following links: |
Other Regulations Information
Species Accounts (FWRI) General Snapper Information |
Red
Snapper
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