Rutherford, Carter, Fry, and Rouzer Launch the House South Atlantic Red Snapper Task Force

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Thursday, U.S. Congressmen John H. Rutherford (FL-05), Buddy Carter (GA-01), Russel Fry (SC-07), and David Rouzer (NC-12) launched the House South Atlantic Red Snapper Task Force the day before the South Atlantic red snapper recreational fishing season begins.

Reps. Rutherford, Carter, Fry, and Rouzer will serve as co-chairs of the task force dedicated to improving management of the South Atlantic red snapper stock. The task force will seek to support enhanced data collection efforts to ensure longer, more predictable fishing seasons.

"Every local angler I talk to says there are more red snapper in the South Atlantic than they've ever seen before," saidRutherford. "Yet, in the South Atlantic, thanks to regulations put in place by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Biden Administration, we are only getting a measly two-day recreational fishing season this summer. In the Gulf of America, thanks to state management, Florida announced a record 126 day season. It's time to hand over the South Atlantic fishery management to Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. That's why I am proud to co-chair the House South Atlantic Red Snapper Task Force to help support enhanced data collection, advance state-led management of South Atlantic fisheries, and improve access for Northeast Florida anglers."

"As someone who has lived and fished in Georgia my whole life, I've seen firsthand how our recreational fishing industry has struggled under one-size-fits-all federal regulations," saidCarter. "Georgia's fishermen on the water know that we have thriving red snapper populations, and we do not need Washington bureaucrats telling us how to manage them."

"I'm thrilled to join the South Atlantic Red Snapper Task Force and help lead the charge for smarter, state-led management of this vital fishery," saidFry. "The Red Snapper industry is crucial to coastal economies like those in my district and supports the livelihoods of countless fishing communities. This task force will focus on enhancing data collection, expanding state authority, and ensuring more predictable and longer seasons that benefit anglers and local businesses alike. It's time we bring common sense and local expertise back to the forefront of fisheries management."

"Across North Carolina's coastal communities, sportfishing is an integral part of our economy, heritage, and way of life," saidRouzer. "The Red Snapper Task Force will help protect this industry through finding solutions towards predictable fishing seasons and management which supports both sustainable fisheries and the hardworking fishermen who depend on them."