Alexandria, VA and Houston, TX – September 21, 2026 — The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) today thanked fisheries officials in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina for their continued work to develop state-led red snapper data collection programs following NOAA Fisheries’ issuance of new Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs).
The permits authorize participating anglers to harvest South Atlantic red snapper in state and federal waters from October 9 through October 22 while the states test approaches to collecting improved recreational catch, effort and discard information. NOAA Fisheries also announced a three-day federal recreational season from October 9 through October 11, providing harvest opportunities for anglers fishing from North Carolina. The pilot programs’ results will help inform future data collection and management decisions.
On July 10, 2026, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources submitted new EFP applications after a preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia halted the original programs in May. ASA and CCA intervened in that litigation to represent recreational anglers and the sportfishing industry.
“We thank the state fisheries agencies for continuing this work after the original pilot programs were halted,” said Glenn Hughes, president and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association. “Their efforts have preserved an opportunity to test state data collection in 2026. Our focus now is on what can be learned this fall and how those findings can help lay the groundwork for more robust and predictable recreational fishing opportunities in 2027 and beyond.”
“We appreciate the states’ perseverance and believe that their efforts are going to pay off with better data that will increase both recreational access and faith in the fisheries management system,” said Pat Murray, president and CEO of Coastal Conservation Association. “We look forward to working with the state agencies to establish the new data systems and begin building a better future for recreational angling in the South Atlantic.”
Following the October season, NOAA Fisheries and the participating states will review catch data and determine whether an additional harvest opening is warranted in December.
ASA and CCA will continue working with the states, NOAA Fisheries and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council as results from the pilot programs become available, with a focus on how the findings can inform future data collection, conservation and recreational fishing opportunities.
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