State Red Snapper Season Set

[silverking]

For immediate release: April 16, 2014
Contact: Amanda Nalley, 850-410-4943

Gulf recreational red snapper season set

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) set the Gulf recreational red snapper season in state waters April 16 at a meeting near Tallahassee. The season will be a total of 52 days in 2014 and will start the Saturday before Memorial Day (May 24 this year) and remain open through July 14, closing July 15.

Starting the season the Saturday before Memorial Day will provide recreational red snapper fishing through an important holiday weekend, helping attract more visitors and bringing economic benefits to our coastal communities.

The federal season is currently projected to be 11 days long, starting June 1 and remaining open through June 11. This season is subject to change depending on projections by NOAA Fisheries for when the recreational red snapper quota may be caught.

Florida state waters in the Gulf are from shore to 9 nautical miles. Federal waters extend from where state waters end, out to about 200 nautical miles.

The daily bag limit will remain 2 per person in state and federal waters.

To learn more about this agenda item, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and click on “Commission Meetings.” To learn more about recreational red snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Gulf Snapper.”

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[Rhettley]

That's underwhelming.
How can they reduce the recreational red snapper fishermen to such a pittance and let the commercials keep on catching and selling fish? Rhetorical question by the way. I'm disgusted with the regulations at this point. All the Gulf states will have to be united and not back down before anything is done.

[Mo Redd]

This is just another example of how the little people don't matter when it comes to political organizations or ones appointed by pols. The commercial interests have the money to influence, and we don't. And none of us individually think we're big enough to stand up and be heard. What probably should be done (if it hasn't already...I've only been in Fla for a year) is at a big meeting a group of sport fishermen should go there and be loud, stand up and demand that we're not the ones decimating the fisheries, it's the commercial interests. If it's loud enough and gets some lines in the newspapers and/or TV then maybe things can be changed. Two fish, especially on the smaller side of the size limit is small beer considering the time and money involved in fishing offshore.