2012 South Atlantic Red Snapper Season: How You Can Help with Data Collection

NOAA Fisheries and state partners from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida are preparing for the 2012 South Atlantic red snapper commercial and recreational seasons. These agencies are looking to fishermen for help with red snapper data collection during the openings. Data collected will provide much needed information for the 2014 red snapper population assessment. Data collection is scheduled to happen in a number of ways and at a number of locations throughout each state.  A summary of data collection efforts is provided below.

A limited commercial and recreational season for red snapper in 2012 will provide an opportunity to collect data that could be useful for, and enhance, the 2014 red snapper stock assessment. Fishermen are encouraged to provide fish carcasses and participate in fish surveys during the opening. For more information on how you can contribute to data collection and reduce discard mortality, click on the links below.

How to Contribute to the Data Collection Process

How You Can Help Reduce Discard Mortality

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council) and NOAA Fisheries Service closed red snapper on January 4, 2010, to protect the population from too much fishing pressure and to allow it to increase in abundance.  In June 2012, the South Atlantic Council and NOAA Fisheries Service approved opening recreational and commercial fishing for red snapper this year after new scientific information projected the population will continue to improve, even with some allowable catch.  Red snapper is being reopened for only a short period of time to prevent too many fish from being harvested.

Information collected will be used to estimate landings and fishing effort during the season.  Biological samples will be used to determine the age, size, and growth of red snapper in the population.  All information collected will be made available for the 2014 red snapper population assessment.  Population assessment participants, which include fishermen, state and federal fishery biologists, academics, and other entities, will determine the applicability of the information for assessing the status of the population.   

The commercial red snapper season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 17, 2012, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 24, 2012.  During the open commercial season, the trip limit is 50 pounds gutted weight and there is no minimum size limit for red snapper. 

The recreational fishing season will open for two consecutive weekends made up of Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.  The recreational red snapper season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 14, 2012, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 17, 2012; the season then reopens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 21, 2012, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 24, 2012.  During the open recreational season, the bag limit is one fish per person per day and there is no minimum size limit for red snapper.

For information about the 2012 Red Snapper fishing season, contact:
	NOAA Fisheries Service: Rick DeVictor, 727-824-5305 or rick.devictor@noaa.gov
	South Atlantic Fishery Management Council: Kim Iverson, 843-571-4366 or kim.iverson@safmc.net

 

State/Agency	Data Collection Program	Point of Contact	Phone Number
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission	Recreational Surveys and Sampling	Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Outreach Coordination Office	727-896-8626
	Freezer Program
	Commercial Sampling
Georgia Department of Natural Resources	Recreational Surveys and Sampling	Kathy Knowlton	912-264-7218
	Freezer Program	Kathy Knowlton	912-264-7218
	Commercial Sampling	Julie Califf	912-264-7218
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources	Recreational Surveys and Sampling	Brad Floyd	843-953-9847
	Freezer Program	Steve Arnott	843-953-9794
	For-hire Logbook Program	Amy Dukes	843-953-9365
	Commercial Sampling	Amy Dukes	843-953-9365
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries	Recreational Surveys and Sampling	Doug Mumford	252-946-3876
	Commercial Sampling	Chip Collier	910-796-7291
	Freezer Program	Carole Willis	252-808-8081
National Marine Fisheries Service	Marine Recreational Information Program	Forbes Darby	301-427-8528
	Southeast Headboat Survey	Ken Brennan	252-728-8618
	Commercial Quota Monitoring	Heather Balchowsky Mike Judge	305-361-4581

For more information on the federal fishery management process, visit http://www.safmc.net/ and http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/

Partners:

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science Center

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

FishSmart

Supporting Documents:

Opening of the 2012 Red Snapper Federal Water Fishing Season Frequently Asked Questions

Fishery Bulletin Announcing 2012 Red Snapper Season

Federal Register Notice

2012 Red Snapper Temporary Rule Environmental Assessment
	EA Appendices

South Atlantic Red Snapper Reopening Analysis

Amendment 22 Options Paper

2009 Red Snapper Stock Assessment