Though many experienced offshore anglers are aware of the most recent regulation changes, keeping up with red snapper regs can be difficult. So, to help everyone avoid costly citations, FS, along with The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds anglers that the recreational harvest season for red snapper in Gulf of Mexico waters has changed and may change again.

The open season in state waters now takes place from June 1 through Sept. 30.

Just so you remember the good old days--last year--the recreational red snapper harvest season opened on April 15 in Gulf state waters, and the season in Gulf federal waters opened on April 21.

Now, the recreational harvest season for red snapper in all Gulf waters off Florida does not open until June 1. This is later than the traditional start of red snapper season, so we're issuing this sobering reminder.

However, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) proposed on Thursday April 16, 2009 to change the recreational harvest season for red snapper in Gulf of Mexico state waters. This action is in response to new data that indicates the Gulf red snapper fishing season needs to be shortened to compensate for overharvests in 2008.

Confused? It's easy to understand why that would be. Let's look into it more.

There are complex issues between the Gulf states and federal government involved in setting bag limits and seasons for red snapper, and other regulated species. Last year's discrepancy between some Gulf states' seasons and the federal season created discord among fisheries managers. As a result, we now see these changes coming to Florida's state regulations.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has estimated that recreational fishers in the Gulf exceeded last year's annual red snapper catch limit by approximately 1.2 million pounds. A federal law requires that harvest levels must be reduced in the year following a previous year's overharvest.

In other words, the red snapper fishing is so good in the Gulf, anglers limited out so many times so quickly and easily, that the fishing must be stopped! Now that makes sense, doesn't it?

Consequently, the NMFS has indicated that it will shorten the recreational red snapper harvest season in Gulf federal waters (beyond 9 nautical miles from shore) from June 1 through Sept. 30 to June 1 through Aug. 14. The FWC is proposing the same season change in state waters.

A final public hearing on this proposed action will take place during the FWC's June meeting in Crystal River.

Though findings on red snapper populations are highly controversial, researchers consider Gulf red snapper to be overfished (in the past) and undergoing more overfishing now.

Fishery management officials say that a shorter fishing season will reduce the harvest of Gulf red snapper and help rebuild the fishery's population.

More information regarding the management of Gulf red snapper is available at the Florida fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Web site .