FWC: Red snapper quota met; no fall season
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently announced that the recreational red snapper quota in Gulf state and federal waters was met during the June 4 to July 28 open season.
Anglers had the opportunity to enjoy a 55-day summer season this year, which is the longest since the FWC was delegated the ability to set the season for private recreational anglers in Gulf federal waters. The season was chosen to maximize harvest opportunities during the summer, which is when red snapper fishing is most popular, and allow as much of Florida’s 2021 quota to be harvested as possible.
Because the FWC cannot allow recreational harvest of snapper once the quota has been reached, the harvest will not reopen this fall for anglers fishing from private recreational vessels in state and federal waters, or for-hire operations who are licensed to fish in state waters but are not federally-permitted.
For updates on snapper regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Recreational Regulations” and “Snappers,” which is under the “Regulations by Species — Reef Fish” tab.