Each year, NOAA Fisheries announces the season opening dates for red snapper in federal waters of the South Atlantic, in addition to the recreational season length. For the 2021 season:
- The recreational sector will open for harvest on the following 3 days:
- July 9, 10, and 11, 2021 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) – The recreational season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 9, 2021, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 12, 2021.
- The commercial sector will open for harvest at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 12, 2021, and will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2022, unless the commercial annual catch limit is met or projected to be met before this date.
- If the commercial sector closes before 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2022, NOAA Fisheries will announce it in the Federal Register and publish another Fishery Bulletin.
During the Limited Open Seasons:
- The total annual catch limit is 42,510 fish.
- The recreational annual catch limit is 29,656 fish.
- The recreational bag limit is one red snapper per person per day. This applies to private and charterboat/headboat vessels (the captain and crew on for-hire vessels may retain the recreational bag limit).
- The commercial annual catch limit is 124,815 pounds whole weight (12,854 fish).
- The commercial trip limit is 75 pounds gutted weight.
- There is no minimum or maximum size limits for the recreational or commercial sectors
