The South Atlantic Bite
Newsworthy Notes – November 21st, 2025
Council Meeting Scheduled for December 8-12, 2025 in Kitty Hawk, NC
Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks/Kitty Hawk | Meeting Webpage | Webinar Registration
Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will convene their quarterly meeting December 8-12, 2025 on the Outer Banks of NC. The meeting will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks/Kitty Hawk, 5353 N. Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949.
The week-long meeting will begin on Monday, December 8th at 10:45 a.m. with a meeting of the Council’s Snapper Grouper Commercial Sub-Committee. A Closed Session will be held on Monday afternoon to address applications and appointments to the Council’s advisory panels, work groups, and other business. The meeting week continues with meetings of the Council’s Citizen Science Committee, Snapper Grouper Committee and a joint meeting of the Habitat & Ecosystem and Shrimp Committees. The Council will also hold meetings of the Full Council.
The meeting is open to the public except for the closed session, and will also be available via webinar. Meeting materials will be posted, including committee and Full Council session agendas, overviews, and documents on the Council’s website on Friday, November 21, 2025. https://safmc.net/events/december-2025-council-meeting/
Public Comment
A public comment session will be held Wednesday, December 10th beginning at 4:00 p.m. The public comment session will allow for in-person and remote (via webinar) verbal public comment.
An online public comment form will also be available online once the meeting briefing book materials are posted.
Exempted Fishing Permits and Red Snapper Management
In 2024, NOAA Fisheries requested funding to explore innovative strategies to reduce discards in the South Atlantic Red Snapper fishery and increase fishing opportunities. Through the use of Exempted Fishing Permits, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) began its Atlantic Red Snapper Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) Project in 2024. The project allows for an increase in harvest of Red Snapper along Florida’s east coast by selected project participants that maintain specific requirements. Details on the project are available from the FWC website.
An Exempted Fishing Permit is issued by NOAA Fisheries and allows for fishing activities that would otherwise be prohibited under current regulations. In the South Atlantic region, permits have typically been issued for the collection of aquarium species, gear testing, and other specific use. With the support of the states’ governors and other representatives, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida are applying for Exempted Fishing Permits to allow additional harvest of Red Snapper and increase data collection for private recreational and for-hire fisheries through reporting programs at the state level.
For example, the EFP application from FWC would allow for a pilot study from 2026 – 2028 to test methods for use in recreational data collection and catch, effort, and discard monitoring. The methodologies could then be potentially applied by the state for management of the private recreational and licensed for-hire Red Snapper fisheries. Details are outlined in the individual state EFP applications found in the Snapper Grouper Committee briefing book materials for the Council’s December meeting.
Council members will review EFP applications during the December meeting and provide comments to NOAA Fisheries. Members of the public will have the opportunity to comment on the EFPs as well as any other items on the agenda for the week-long meeting. (See the information above on public comment opportunities).
Additional Snippets:
NOAA Fisheries Requests Comments on Electronic Reporting for Commercial Vessels in the Gulf of America and Atlantic
NOAA Fisheries is seeking comments on proposed changes to reporting for commercial vessels in the Gulf of America and Atlantic. Currently, fishermen with a federal commercial permit for Gulf of America Reef Fish, South Atlantic Snapper Grouper, Atlantic Dolphin and Wahoo, or Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf and South Atlantic must complete, and then submit, paper logbooks with trip-level information seven days after the end of each fishing trip. The Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendment, if implemented, would require these commercially permitted vessels to submit electronic fishing reports. See the Fishery Bulletin from NOAA Fisheries for details.
Right Whales Returning to GA Coast Calving Grounds
North Atlantic Right Whales have returned to their calving grounds off Georgia earlier than expected. Or at least two of them did. Anglers videoed the two endangered whales off Hilton Head, SC and Savannah earlier this month, according to the Georgia Department of Naturals Resources. Two Right Whales were also reported near Cape Lookout, NC on Saturday but researchers couldn’t determine if they are the same whales.
See the article posted by GPB from The Current for additional information on ways boaters heading offshore can help protect these endangered whales from vessel strikes during the calving season.
Shipping Company Deploying Advanced Whale Detection Technology
The shipping company Matson recently announced a product agreement with WhaleSpotter Corp. to purchase and deploy a groundbreaking whale detection system developed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, making Matson the first container shipping company to deploy this advanced marine protection technology. See this article from Professional Mariner to learn more about the WhaleSpotter system and the collaborative effort to use thermal and AI-driven detection, and 24/7 reat-time monitoring to reliably detect whales up to 3 nautical miles away, day or night.
Mark Your Calendar
Keep track of meetings scheduled by the Council from the Meetings page of the website and register for meeting webinars as information becomes available. Register early and receive email reminders as the meeting date(s) approach!