On February 12, 2024, NOAA Fisheries recommended five projects for funding totaling $879,211 to explore new, innovative approaches to better understand and reduce red snapper dead discards and increase fishing opportunities in the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery.
NOAA Fisheries recognizes that recreational and commercial fishers, fishery managers, and other stakeholders are challenged and frustrated by short fishing seasons for red snapper and high levels of dead discards. The most recent South Atlantic red snapper population assessments indicate the stock is recovering but experiencing too much fishing mortality due to the number of discarded fish and subsequently dying. We identified a need to study effective alternative management strategies that reduce dead discards to improve the status of snapper-grouper stocks, including red snapper, and to optimize the social and economic benefits for the snapper-grouper fishery better.
In September 2023, NOAA Fisheries requested proposals under a Notice of Funding Opportunity for projects that explore new approaches to understand better and reduce red snapper dead discards and increase fishing opportunities in the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery. Proposals were accepted from September 7 through November 20, 2023. NOAA Fisheries is recommending funding the following five projects, totaling $879,211.
Projects receiving funding-
Project 1: Testing innovative management strategies through an FWC Experimental Hot Spot Fleet off NE Florida to reduce red snapper/snapper-grouper discards and improve angler satisfaction. Project by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and they will receive $244,644.
Project 2: Testing innovative management strategies through an FWC Southeast Florida Snapper-Grouper Fleet to reduce red snapper/other snapper-grouper discards and improve angler satisfaction. Project by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and they will receive $178,814.
Project 3: Testing management strategies through an FWC Red Snapper Full-Retention Study Fleet off NE Florida to reduce red snapper/other snapper-grouper discards and improve angler satisfaction. Project by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and they will receive $97,404.
Project 4: Characterizing South Carolina charter and private recreational red snapper fishing behavior, catch, and discard composition. Project by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and they will receive $209,683.
Project 5: Portable electronic monitoring systems - Innovative technology data collection approach in the South Atlantic recreational snapper-grouper fishery. Project by Mote Marine Laboratory, Inc., and they will receive $148,666.
At this point in the process, project approval and obligation is not final. A funding recommendation is not an authorization to begin work on the project nor a guarantee of funding. Applications must undergo final review and processing before an award is approved and issued. If funded, NOAA Fisheries expects project funds to be available in spring 2024.
The researchers may need an exempted fishing permit from NOAA Fisheries to authorize fishing activities that would otherwise be prohibited (e.g., fish retention under the minimum size limit). In the coming months, the public will be provided an opportunity to comment on research requests to be exempted from certain regulations. All studies will require the cooperation and participation of private recreational anglers and charter captains. Through this collaborative work, NOAA Fisheries’ goal is to gather information and data to quantify better and reduce discards, improve fishing opportunities, and inform future management.
NOAA Fisheries recognizes the frustrations amongst fishers from short seasons and high level of discards for many snapper-grouper species, including red snapper. We believe that funding these projects is a crucial part of a multiple-part plan to improve management. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is leading part of the plan to perform a Management Strategy Evaluation of the snapper-grouper fishery. Management Strategy Evaluations allow scientists and managers to evaluate and test various management strategies to determine how best they will perform and meet management goals. In addition, the South Atlantic Red Snapper Research Program is being conducted to produce an independent estimate of the population size of red snapper aged two years and older from North Carolina to Florida. This study will help inform the next population assessment for red snapper.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is also continuing to evaluate management actions to end the overfishing of red snapper, as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. NOAA Fisheries notified the Council in the summer of 2021 that overfishing was occurring, but it has yet to take action to end the overfishing of red snapper. Under the authority provided by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, NOAA Fisheries is evaluating options for addressing red snapper overfishing that may affect the length of the 2024 red snapper commercial and recreational fishing seasons. At this time, the length of the red snapper fishing seasons has not yet been determined. NOAA Fisheries will discuss the red snapper fishing seasons at the upcoming South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in March 2024.
Read more on the NOAA Fisheries Bulletin here.
