March 18, 2019 — The catch was too good last summer. So many savory red snapper were hooked offshore that federal regulators have shortened the brief season for July by one day.
That may not sound like much, but it’s big stuff.
The tasty seafood favorite fish has come back, 10 years after the stock was so depleted that regulators enforced tight catch and season limits.
A two-weekend season launched last year was cut this year from six days to five, an adjustment based on the previous catch intended to keep enough breeding snapper out there.
But as South Atlantic Fish Management Council members approved the limit this year, they heard the usual question from anglers: How much longer do you need to restrict it at all?
An answer might come as soon as next year.