Anglers from around the world travel to Florida for fishing.
The Sunshine State was left with a nasty surprise.
And fishing in Florida got one last-minute punch in the gut from Joe Biden.
Red snapper fishing could shut down for three months over new regulation
Red Snappers are one of the most sought-after fish for anglers in Florida.
The rose-colored fish lives in the reefs off Florida’s coasts and they have become popular for charter fishing and recreational anglers.
Red Snappers have had their population managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) since 1988 because of concerns about overfishing.
Florida managed to wrestle away control from the federal government for the Red Snapper population in the Gulf of America while the NOAA Fisheries oversees the Atlantic Ocean.
The NOAA proposed an amendment to its Fishery Management Plan that would ban Red Snapper fishing in the Atlantic from December through February.
NOAA officials argued the move was needed to prevent overfishing and rebuild the population for the summer season.
Florida politicians and anglers are outraged at a rule change made with less than a week left in Joe Biden’s Presidency.
They argue that Red Snappers have a stable population and that concerns about overfishing are overblown.
“If this proposal were to occur, it will crush fishing along [Florida’s] northeast coast,” Jacksonville tackle shop owner David Workman told Outdoor Life. “No one would fish during the closure and it’s an asinine idea that would cause a lot of economic pain that’s completely unnecessary.”
NOAA has not released a firm statement regarding the closures to the public at this time, and the agency is currently accepting public comments on the rule changes until March 17.
Sweeping federal action against Florida’s anglers
The NOAA amendment would ban bottom fishing from south of Cape Canaveral, Florida to the state’s border with Georgia in federal waters.
Red Snapper, grouper, sea bass, and other reef fish would be off-limits.
NOAA officials said this ban would allow for the summer season to extend from one day to potentially nine.
Florida anglers think they are getting a raw deal because the overfishing of Red Snapper is no longer an issue.
“Given NOAA Fisheries’ recognition that red snapper is no longer overfished or undergoing overfishing, an increase in the recreational season is definitely warranted. However, it is absurd to simultaneously propose drastic closures,” American Sportfishing Association policy director Martha Guyas stated.
“A three-month bottomfishing closure for 55 species of reef fish in exchange for 5-9 days of red snapper season is not a good trade,” Guyas added.
Charter captains and tackle shops along Florida’s Atlantic coast were worried the amendment would be devastating for the businesses.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Rodney Barreto slammed Biden for the decision.
“In the South Atlantic, Florida’s red snapper is managed by the federal government and [fishing] has been limited to a couple of days for the past decade,” Barreto explained. “Rather than try to lift up the fishery and community, President Biden dropped the hammer on it on his way out of office … This amendment is a non-starter for the state of Florida.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that the federal government needed to get out of the way and allow the states to manage their Red Snapper populations.
Joe Biden wanted to land one final blow against Florida on his way out the door.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this story.