JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Atlantic anglers get one more chance this year to fish for red snapper. The recreational harvest of red snapper in South Atlantic federal waters will reopen for three days in December 2017. Recreational harvest will reopen 12:01 a.m. (local time) on December 8, 2017, and close 12:01 a.m. (local time) on December 11, 2017. During the three-day reopening, the recreational bag limit for red snapper is one fish per person per day with no minimum size limit.
Reason Behind the Additional weekend
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Recreational harvest of red snapper was allowed for six days in November 2017. The 2017 recreational catch limit for red snapper is 29,656 fish. As of November 16, 2017, preliminary estimates of recreational harvest indicate that the catch limit has not been caught, likely due to inclement weather. Harvest projections show that an additional three-day opening for red snapper by the recreational sector would not result in harvest exceeding the 2017 recreational catch limit.
Locally, the first weekend of the mini season for red snapper had decent, but not ideal weather for offshore fishing. The second weekend of mini season was not fishable locally due to high winds and rough seas.
After Sunday December 11th at midnight, the recreational harvest of red snapper is closed for the remaining part of 2017 beginning at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on December 11, 2017.
In addition to the emergency rule request to allow an opening this year, the Council also approved measures in Amendment 43 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan during its September 25, 2017 meeting. The amendment would revise the process for calculating the annual catch limit with the intent to allow a red snapper season in 2018. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the recreational fishery would open the second Friday in July (July 13, 2018) and the commercial fishery the second Monday in July (July 9, 2018).
Biological samples will be taken during the red snapper opening. Fishermen are encouraged to cooperate with state marine resource personnel as they collect samples dockside.
The catch rate during the 2017 season will be considered in setting the length of any 2018 season, so fishermen are encouraged to follow the best fishing practices and to be conservative in how many red snapper they catch during 2017. The amendment is currently under review and an announcement from NOAA Fisheries about a 2018 red snapper season is expected in early 2018.
Fishermen are also urged to use best fishing practices to minimize the number of released red snapper and help improve the likelihood that released fish will survive. “The red snapper fishery has remained closed since 2014 because mortality estimates of the number of released fish exceeded the annual catch limit,” explained Captain Mark Brown, Council Vice-Chair and a full-time charter captain based in Mt. Pleasant, SC. “It is imperative that we use best practices. The key to having future access to red snapper lies in reducing the mortality of fish that are released.”
Best Practices
- Once you have met your red snapper bag limit, move away from areas likely to have red snapper. If you are approaching your vessel limit, move to a different area. When red snapper are out of season avoid areas where they are common.
- Use single hook rigs - since the bag limit is 1 per person, this potentially reduces the number of red snapper caught on one drop.
- If you catch a red snapper and plan to release the fish, keep the fish in the water as you remove the hook and return the fish back to the water as quickly as possible.
- Recognize signs of barotrauma: bulging eyes, stomach protruding from mouth, distended intestines, bloated belly.
- Use descending devices if releasing fish with barotrauma. There are a variety of devices available.
New Pilot Program for Recreational Reporting
Recreational anglers will have the opportunity to report individually about their red snapper fishing trips via a voluntary pilot program being tested for the first time as the red snapper mini-season opens. MyFishCount.com is a new web portal that allows anglers to report their catches using photos to document lengths, as well as depths fish are caught, release techniques, hook type, and other information. Anglers are encouraged to register online and to take photos and keep written records of the information while offshore.