Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday revealed there will be a 39-day red snapper fishing season in the Atlantic coast this year, an expansion from the two days allowed last year.
The longer fishing season was due to a switch from federal management of the waters off Florida’s east coast for red snapper to state management.
DeSantis has long pushed for the federal government to allow longer red snapper seasons in the Atlantic, to match the expanded season on Florida’s west coast, where the state manages the red snapper population. Talks with the federal government under President Joe Biden went nowhere, DeSantis said, while President Donald Trump’s administration was more amenable to the change.
“Every single person I talk to that fishes out there will say (the fish are) everywhere,” DeSantis said of his struggles with state and federal agencies to allow longer red snapper seasons. “I don’t believe that the data is accurate. And sure enough the experience (on the Gulf coast) has shown that that’s the case.”
DeSantis spoke in Fernandina Beach to announce the Atlantic red snapper season and in Fort Myers to announce the Gulf red snapper season.
The Atlantic season will start May 22 and run to June 20, with three weekend dates available in October as well, from Oct. 2-4, Oct. 9-11 and Oct. 16-18. On the Gulf coast, the season will start May 22 and run through July 1, with an additional fall season of Sept. 1 to Oct. 4, and more weekend dates allowed through the end of the year.
DeSantis said the longer season will boost local coastal communities.
“This will be good for the local economy. This will be good to drive growth to tackle and bait shops, hotels, restaurants and the entire recreational community along Florida’s Atlantic coast,” DeSantis said.
–News Service of Florida
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