U.S. Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL) and other state congressional lawmakers are urging the federal government to give Florida and other coastal states more control over red snapper fishing in the South Atlantic.
In a post, Rep. Rutherford argued federal limits on the snapper are too strict and out of touch compared to what fishermen are experiencing on the water.
"Every local angler I talk to says there are more red snapper off the coast of Northeast Florida than ever before," Rutherford said. "Yet, NOAA under President Biden only gave us ONE DAY to fish last summer. It's time to hand over the South Atlantic fishery management to our Governors DeSantis, Kemp, and McMaster."
Rutherford sent his request in a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Republican Sen. Rick Scott, along with GOP Reps. Daniel Webster, Aaron Bean, Gus Bilirakis, Mario Diaz-Balart, Maria Elvira-Salazar, Kat Cammack, Scott Franklin, Jimmy Patronis, Vern Buchanan, Byron Donalds, Neal Dunn, Randy Fine, Carlos Gimenez, Laurel Lee, Anna Paulina Luna, Brian Mast, Cory Mills, and Greg Steube.
Democrat Jared Moskowitz also joined his colleagues. The request follows a letter from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster asking Lutnick for state control of its South Atlantic fisheries.
"Since Florida took over Gulf Red Snapper management, our stock has flourished, and consequently, our season has grown from 3 days to 127 days," DeSantis said previously. "Expanding state management would be a boon to Florida's local residents and anglers on the Atlantic coast."
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a one-day recreational snapper season in the South Atlantic last year, due to overfishing.
In his letter, Rutherford said NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service had recently determined, under Amendment 59, that the red snapper was no longer overfished, and approved a final rule to end overfishing.
"We believe the current abundance of South Atlantic red snapper, combined with a strong interest from states in the region to take on a greater role in data collection and management, presents an extraordinary opportunity to make state-led management in the South Atlantic a resounding success, much like the model seen in the gulf," the letter said.
