Reminder: Florida Atlantic Vermilion Snapper Season Will Remain Open this Fall
Atlantic vermilion snapper will remain open to recreational harvest this fall in both state and federal waters now that the season closure has been eliminated. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission eliminated the annual Nov. 1 through March 31 closure at the September Commission meeting. The Nov. 1 through March 31 closure in federal waters was eliminated earlier this year.
Vermilion snapper populations have improved thanks to successful state and federal fishery management. In 2008, the Atlantic vermilion snapper population was considered to be undergoing overfishing, which means more fish were being removed from the population than was considered sustainable. At the time, state and federal fishery managers implemented several management changes, including bag limit reductions and the five-month season closure for the recreational fishery. A 2012 stock assessment revealed these management actions were successful in rebuilding vermillion snapper numbers. Removing the closure will positively benefit recreational anglers by providing additional fishing opportunities.
Learn more about Atlantic vermilion snapper by visiting MyFWC.com/Fishing and clicking on “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and then “Atlantic Snapper.”
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came into existence on July 1, 1999 - the result of a constitutional amendment approved in the 1998 General Election as part of the package proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission.
In the implementation of the Constitutional Amendment, the Florida Legislature combined all of the staff and Commissioners of the former Marine Fisheries Commission, elements of the Divisions of Marine Resources and Law Enforcement of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and all of the employees and Commissioners of the former Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.
Five years later, after consulting stakeholders, employees and other interested parties, the FWC adopted a new internal structure to address complex conservation issues of the new century. The new structure focuses on programs, such as habitat management, that affect numerous species. It will focus on moving the decision-making process closer to the public and did not require any additional funding or additional positions.
