NOAA Fisheries Announces Limited Openings of Recreational and Commercial Red Snapper Seasons in South Atlantic Federal Waters
5/20/2022- The following Fishery Bulletin from NOAA Fisheries is forwarded as a courtesy.
What/When:
Each year, NOAA Fisheries announces the season opening dates for red snapper in federal waters of the South Atlantic, in addition to the recreational season length. For the 2022 season:
The recreational sector will open for harvest on the following 2 days:
- July 8 and 9, 2022 (Friday and Saturday) – The recreational season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 8, 2022, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 10, 2022.
The commercial sector will open for harvest at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 11, 2022, and will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2023, unless the commercial annual catch limit is met or projected to be met before this date.
- If the commercial sector closes before 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2023, NOAA Fisheries will announce it in the Federal Register and publish another Fishery Bulletin.
During the Limited Open Seasons:
The total annual catch limit is 42,510 fish.
The recreational annual catch limit is 29,656 fish.
- The recreational bag limit is one red snapper per person per day. This applies to private and charterboat/headboat vessels (the captain and crew on for-hire vessels may retain the recreational bag limit).
The commercial annual catch limit is 124,815 pounds whole weight (12,854 fish).
- The commercial trip limit is 75 pounds gutted weight.
There are no minimum or maximum size limits for the recreational or commercial sectors.
See the complete Fishery Bulletin from NOAA Fisheries for additional information, including Frequently Asked Questions.