Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; Requests for Exempted Fishing Permits

NMFS announces the receipt of three applications for exempted fishing permits (EFP) from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR), and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). If issued by NMFS, each EFP would exempt the applicable state agency and participating fishermen from specific Federal regulations applicable to the recreational harvest of red snapper in the South Atlantic. The applicants each propose to pilot test state data collection and management strategies for the recreational harvest of red snapper in 2026. The outcomes of the 2026 EFPs would inform the need and refinement of future EFP applications. The purposes of these EFPs are to improve data on recreational fishing effort, catch, and discards of red snapper in the South Atlantic and to inform the development of a long-term state-led management strategy for the recreational harvest of red snapper.