FWC has developed three separate Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) projects that may give you opportunities to fish for (and keep!) Atlantic red snapper outside of the one-day (July 12, 2024) federal recreational season to get better data and test new, innovative ideas aimed at reducing dead discards (fish caught alive but die after release). EFPs are permits that allow harvest for certain purposes otherwise prohibited under current federal regulations.
Program Objectives
Directly collaborate with recreational anglers to collect catch and discard information within the snapper grouper fishery;
Recruit recreational anglers to test a snapper grouper aggregate bag limit;
Allow a select number of recreational anglers to harvest red snapper outside of the federal season, accompanied by a mandatory reporting requirement and provisions for validation;
Develop a unique app to collect better recreational data and evaluate the effectiveness of the alternative management strategy tested as part of this study
Develop an education course required for all participants that highlights fish identification, best fishing practices, and methods to safely descend fish experiencing barotrauma; and
Evaluate angler satisfaction through pre- and post-participation surveys and semi-structured interviews.
Why is FWC doing this?
Better data and management are clearly needed for Atlantic red snapper. Like many fishermen, the FWC is also frustrated and concerned with the current management and state of the snapper grouper fisheries in the South Atlantic. For years, anglers have asked for ways to provide information about their fishing trips directly to FWC.
As a result, FWC has developed three separate EFP projects to test new, innovative ideas outside of the confines of normal federal fisheries management.
With your help, we hope to collaborate with you to collect better catch and discard data to improve the management of our snapper grouper fisheries!
Project Period
The three EFP projects will occur simultaneously over 12 months from August 2024 through July 2025.
Specifically, the project duration will be broken up into 4, 3-month quarters in order to allow the most harvest opportunities for anglers along the east coast of Florida.
Quarter 1: August 2024 to October 2024
Quarter 2: November 2024 to January 2025
Quarter 3: February 2025 to April 2025
Quarter 4: May 2025 to July 2025
The application period for each quarter will open the month prior (see details in Project Summaries Below)
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