Duval Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On July 18, 2023, Congressman John Rutherford (FL-05) reintroduced H.R. 4587, the Red Snapper Act. This bill would prevent the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from implementing area closures in the South Atlantic until the Great Red Snapper Count is complete and the findings are integrated into the fishery’s stock assessment. The Great Red Snapper Count is an independent study Congress has funded over the last three years that will deliver new, reliable data on abundance, genomics, and mortality of the red snapper stock by 2025.

“Over the last 10 years, the South Atlantic fishing community has worked hard to rebuild the red snapper stock, and their efforts have worked! Anglers tell me they see more red snapper off the coast of Northeast Florida than they have ever seen,” said Congressman Rutherford. “NOAA may believe the population is overfished, but widespread bottom closures that threaten Florida’s fishing economy are not the answer. My Red Snapper Act stops NOAA from making draconian closures, and instead forces them to use better data to evaluate the red snapper population in the South Atlantic. Florida’s anglers deserve dependable access to red snapper fishing.”

Last year, NOAA proposed closures for bottom fishing in the South Atlantic to decrease the discard rate of red snapper caught outside of the two-day recreational season. While the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council ultimately rejected NOAA’s proposal, the threat of future closures persists. The Red Snapper Act would prevent NOAA from making future sweeping management decisions until the ongoing South Atlantic Great Red Snapper Count is complete and the new information can be integrated into stock assessments.

America’s 52.4 million anglers create $148 billion in economic output, support 945,500 jobs, and contribute $1.8 billion toward conservation. Florida alone adds $13.9 billion to our national economy – higher than any other state – through the manufacturing and sale of fishing equipment and gear, hotel lodging, restaurants, charter boat trips. and more. In Florida’s 5th Congressional District, the recreational fishing industry supports nearly 4,500 local jobs.

The Red Snapper Act is supported by seven cosponsors, including: Representatives Neal Dunn (FL-02), Michael Waltz (FL-06), Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25), Garret Graves (LA-06), Buddy Carter (GA-01), Nancy Mace (SC-01), and Jeff Duncan (SC-03).

The Red Snapper Act has also been endorsed by the American Sportfishing Association, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, and the Center for Sportfishing Policy.  

Read the full bill text here.

Original source can be found here.