Fishery Management
- NOAA Fisheries with the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils manage red snapper in the United States.
- In the Gulf of Mexico, managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico:
- A rebuilding plan was implemented in 2005 with the goal of rebuilding the Gulf of Mexico red snapper stock by 2032.
- Annual catch limits for the commercial and recreational fisheries.
- Commercial fishermen must have a permit to harvest red snapper. Through the individual fishing quota (catch shares) program, they may harvest their quotas whenever they choose and must report how much they harvest.
- A minimum size limit protects the spawning stock and juveniles.
- For more information, visit NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office’s Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Management website.
- In the South Atlantic, managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region:
- A rebuilding plan was implemented in 2010 with the goal of rebuilding the South Atlantic red snapper stock by 2044. It allows for limited harvest of red snapper as the population continues to grow.
- In 2010 and 2011, regulations prohibited harvest of red snapper in the South Atlantic to protect the population from too much fishing pressure and to allow the number of fish to increase.
- Limited harvest was allowed in 2012-2014. Harvest was prohibited in 2015 and 2016.
- For more information, visit the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Red Snapper Regulations website or NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office’s South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper Management page.
- State management consistency with federal management
- In the Gulf of Mexico, recreational state management measures are very different from recreational federal management measures.
- In the South Atlantic, state management measures are fairly consistent with the federal management measures noted above. Some states, such as South Carolina and Georgia, automatically adopt federal regulations while others have separate regulations.