NOAA Fisheries Update: Effective Immediately, No Recreational Red Snapper Fishing is Authorized Under the South Atlantic Exempted Fishing Permits - South Atlantic Red Snapper[...]

Preliminary decision on the South Atlantic red snapper exempted fishing permits lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia

On May 21, 2026, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued an order granting the plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction, halting activities under the exempted fishing permits (EFPs) that authorized the 2026 state recreational red snapper seasons in the South Atlantic. The South Atlantic EFPs for Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina are no longer in effect until further order from the Court, and the recreational harvest of red snapper in the South Atlantic remains closed.

All recreational fishing under these South Atlantic EFPs is not authorized, including tomorrow's start date of May 22, 2026, for Florida's recreational red snapper season. Contact your state agency for further details.

The ruling does not affect the South Atlantic red snapper commercial season that NOAA Fisheries will announce at a later date. NOAA Fisheries will announce if there will be a 2026 federal recreational season for red snapper in the South Atlantic.

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