Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a plan to take over red snapper management off the state’s Atlantic coast. DeSantis, alongside Roger Young, executive director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, sent a request to the Secretary of Commerce to implement an exempted fishing permit.
The permit calls for a 39-day recreational fishing season for red snapper in the south Atlantic for Florida anglers. The season will be divided into two segments: the first running from Memorial Day weekend (May 22) through June 20, and the second over the course of three consecutive weekends in October (Oct. 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18).
“The American Sportfishing Association applauds the governor and FWC for taking this momentous step toward providing reasonable access to south Atlantic red snapper while promoting conservation and supporting our state’s $11.1 billion recreational fishing industry,” said Martha Guyas, Southeast fisheries policy director for ASA. “We’ve witnessed the benefits of state management in the Gulf for years, and we’re hopeful anglers and the industry will now experience these same benefits in the Atlantic for 2026 and beyond.”
The proposed 39-day season matches the initial season in the Gulf of Mexico when Florida took over management in 2018. This year, the Gulf recreational red snapper season is 126 days, a testament to the state’s ability to manage access and conservation goals in tandem.
There are more red snapper in the south Atlantic now than any time in recent history, a fact supported by anglers, the industry and fisheries managers. However, the sacrifices made by the recreational fishing community to rebuild the stock have not been met with reciprocal access to the fishery. NOAA allowed a recreational red snapper season of just two days this year, and only a single day in 2024.
The limited season is largely due to flawed estimates of recreational discards from the Marine Recreational Information Program, the tool NOAA uses to conduct stock assessments, which the agency acknowledges overestimates fishing effort by 30 to 40 percent. To address this issue, the exempted fishing permit will provide important data concerning red snapper stocks that can be used to inform future recreational fishing seasons.
ASA is optimistic that the Trump administration and the Secretary of Commerce, who oversees NOAA, will implement the proposal in short order. Other south Atlantic states are submitting similar requests.
“We are grateful for Gov. DeSantis’ leadership on this issue and to the Florida congressional delegation, particularly Reps. Rutherford and Soto, as well as Sen. Scott, for their unwavering support in Washington, D.C.,” Guyas added.
Click here to read the full statement from the DeSantis administration.
