Florida Red Snapper Fiasco

[Fowl Play]

If anyone wants a good read with their morning coffee, id urge you to start poking around some Florida fishing forums or Facebook groups. TLDR: A federal judge just ruled Florida’s takeover of the Atlantic Red Snapper fishery management was unconstitutional and HALTED the season literally 4 hours before it legally opened. Guys are on the water, charter captains have clients showing up this morning. It’s a fiasco. Just one of the news reports: https://www.news4jax.com/news/flori...-before-florida-anglers-set-to-hit-the-water/

Backstory, the Red Snapper fishery on the Gulf side of Florida has always been state managed. On the Atlantic side it has been federally managed. The gulf side has been having increasing multi-month long seasons as the population of Red Snapper grew, 2 fish per person per day, etc. The federally managed Atlantic side was literally a 2 day season , 1 fish per person, per day. Anglers and Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) were frustrated that the federal government was not adapting with the increased fish population — it got to the point where on most of the local fishing areas, all you would catch was Red Snapper, but you could not legally keep them. it’s been like this for over a decade.

Fast forward after a long legal journey. Florida, is finally able to take over the Atlantic side this year and posted the longest season ever on the Atlantic side — very similar dates to the gulf side. Season starting May 22nd.

Everyone’s happy, except for the commercial fisherman — who filed a motion with a federal judge as it might impact their quota. Nothing immediately came of that until last night.

So last night, the news breaks and all hell breaks loose online. Some good reads there. FWC literally posted this picture along with a somewhat cryptic message reminding anglers that although the Feds closed their waters, the season would remain in effect for Florida state waters and that all they will be checking is that anglers abide by the 2 fish per person, 20” size limit. But, red snapper are deep water fish. For most of the Atlantic side there are no keepable fish in state waters *wink wink*


Anyways, total cluster today. And I do think this battle has huge ramifications for the way states manage their resources as a whole. Will be very interesting to see how this all plays out.

 

[dr.mooseknuckles]

I'd be pissed for sure. It is certainly frustrating, even on the Gulf side, to go out and catch NOTHING BUT red snapper and only be able to keep 2.

What a mess for those on the Atlantic side. Just need to open up those amberjack seasons more!

 

[Rich M]

Thanks for posting. Wow!

If it wasnt for work ida been out catching them this morning. Too rough for the next week or so.

We dont get as many AJs.

 

[FLHunter87]

There are so many rules and restrictions in the Atlantic it’s ridiculous. Gag season is still short and can only keep 1 per person or 2 per vessel whichever is smaller. Ever since they basically shut down gag season to very limited seasons as well the numbers have gone up in the last couple of years as well. The Red Snapper is just an entire crap show as a whole. How everything went down just hours before the season was going to start was very poor. I am in NE FL and some studies in our area Jax/St. Augustine, there has been around a $13 million dollar loss just due to the red snapper season. I will say though FWC, at least from what I have seen and been told from others, they are not one but enforcing any Federal Law. Even to this week the many “3 mile and under reefs” in state waters are getting there fair share of snapper. With all the other restrictions and limits, it’s very hard to even justify going out on the water, at least for me. I have been spear fishing/scuba diving in the area for 15 years. I will say, the red snapper number is very healthy. In my personal opinion I think a size limit should be in place and not just any size. But I also get why because they want to limit people throwing back fish and discards. Ever since the EFP began a couple years ago, the ones that get awarded the snapper permit, FWC knows the population is more than fine. There’s a lot to digest about it and it is what it is. Hopefully there’s a compromise and a ruling soon and we all can enjoy the snapper season in the July/August/September. Even if it’s just for a couple weeks or several long weekends. A lot of people have it out for the big commercial groups around here and have been boycotts from several restaurants tied to some of the groups that brought the lawsuit to DC. Even though minor, but in general FL as a whole has lost a lot of money coming into the state because of the shutdown and a lot of charter’s whether private or head boats lost a lot of business and left stranded. Can go on and on but overall spear fishing and with gas prices at the docks I’m staying out of the water.