Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a request for comment for pending applications for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP) for Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. If approved, these EFPs would allow for the South Atlantic states to manage red snapper populations in federal waters off their coasts. Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response:

“Allowing state management of South Atlantic red snapper populations follows the successful blueprint from the Gulf of America that Committee Republicans advocated for and implemented during the first Trump administration. The Exempted Fishing Permits will allow those who know best to manage and sustain red snapper populations, fostering a better fishing experience off the coast of the four states. This is great news for anglers, species and coastal economies alike.”

Background

In 2018, as a result of the work of Committee Republicans, President Donald Trump signed into law the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018, also known as the Modern Fish Act. This legislation laid the groundwork for NOAA to grant EFPs for the five Gulf of America states, allowing the states to assume management of red snapper populations for the recreational fishery. The success of the Modern Fish Act paved the way for the four EFPs proposed to be granted to the South Atlantic states by NOAA.