GEORGIA — A federal judge ruled against expanded fishing seasons for Red Snapper, forcing Georgia anglers to lose a state-planned extension on the harvest season.
Channel 2 Action News reported in May when Georgia state officials first announced the expanded fishing times, which added a full two months.
Normally, the red snapper season is only a few days a year. The expanded season was scheduled to go from July 1 to Aug. 31, but the ruling in federal court means the planned Red Snapper Project is, for now, paused.
State officials said the federal injunction wasn’t a full cancellation.
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Instead, the department has withdrawn its initial request for a 62-day snapper season and will resubmit one as the court case moves forward.
“We will continue working toward a solution that balances the biological needs of the fishery with the social and economic importance of recreational fishing,” DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon said in a statement.
The DNR Coast Resources Division gave the update on snapper season on Friday, saying in part that the season was delayed after the court ruling, impacting Georgia and Florida and North and South Carolina.
“While this is disappointing news, Georgia DNR remains committed to expanding red snapper fishing opportunities for our anglers,” DRN said. “We are already working with our partner states and federal officials to develop a revised permit application with the goal of establishing a red snapper season later this fall.”
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