Southern governors demand local control over red snapper management, criticize federal oversight

ATLANTA - Governors from Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina are calling on the federal government to hand over management of red snapper and other reef fish in the South Atlantic to state authorities, saying federal oversight has failed coastal communities and harmed local economies.

What they're saying:

In a joint letter dated June 4, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster urged U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to approve an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) that would allow their states to assume management of reef species, including red snapper, in the South Atlantic.

"Our fishing industry has suffered under heavy-handed federal regulations imposed by bureaucrats thousands of miles away," Kemp said in a statement. "It’s time this industry is managed much closer to home."

The governors argue that the current federal regulations, especially Amendment 59 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery, are based on flawed data and have restricted access to fisheries despite what they describe as a dramatic increase in red snapper populations.

"The current situation in the South Atlantic is clear," the letter states. "There is an unprecedented abundance of red snapper; red snapper is no longer overfished or undergoing overfishing; and a large quota increase is warranted."

The letter blames what the governors call "decades of inaction" by career officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and criticizes actions taken in the final months of the Biden administration that they say reduced public access to the fishery.

They cite Florida’s management success in the Gulf as a model. According to the letter, Florida’s recreational red snapper season expanded from just three days to 127 days after assuming control.

"This presents an extraordinary opportunity to make state management in the Atlantic a resounding success," the governors wrote, pointing to what they describe as sound science and prudent decision-making at the state level.

The governors say Florida could begin implementing state-led red snapper management this year, with Georgia and South Carolina to follow. The requested permit would mirror the approach used by Gulf states in their transition to state control.

The letter concludes with an appeal to Lutnick and President Trump for continued support: "We welcome and look forward to your partnership in advancing state management forward for the benefit of anglers, our economy, and way of life."