NMFS Seeks Comments on Exempted Fishing Permit Applications for Red Snapper in South Atlantic

Summary

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has announced the receipt of three applications for exempted fishing permits (EFPs) from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR), and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) to pilot test state data collection and management strategies for the recreational harvest of red snapper in 2026, with the goal of improving data on recreational fishing effort, catch, and discards and informing the development of a long-term state-led management strategy for the recreational harvest of red snapper.