DeSantis Announces 39-Day Atlantic Red Snapper Season as Opposition Builds

Standing in Fernandina Beach, Governor Ron DeSantis announced yesterday that the federal government has approved Florida’s request for an Exempted Fishing Permit, giving the state new authority to lead the way on Atlantic red snapper management. The announcement marks a major shift for Florida anglers, especially after years of frustratingly short federal seasons. Last year, Atlantic recreational red snapper fishing was limited to just two days. Under the newly approved plan, Florida will move forward with a 39-day, two-phase recreational season for 2026.

The Summer Season is set to begin May 22, just in time for Memorial Day weekend, and will continue through June 20. A Fall Season is also planned, consisting of three-day weekends in October. For many Florida anglers, captains, and coastal businesses, the expanded season represents more than just extra fishing days. The extended season is being seen as a long-overdue acknowledgment to anglers on the water who have been sounding the alarm for years that Atlantic red snapper are far more abundant than federal seasons have reflected.

The consequences of these closures have reached far beyond the dock. The loss of meaningful red snapper seasons has been felt from the dinner table to the charter deck, from bait shops and marinas to fuel docks, tackle stores, seafood culture, and the coastal businesses that depend on a healthy working waterfront. For years, the data used to justify keeping these seasons closed has been heavily questioned by the people who spend their lives on the water. Reports from captains and anglers continue to tell the same story, from Miami up through coastal Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina: red snapper are not scarce where fishermen are actually fishing. That disconnect between federal data and daily on-the-water observations is exactly why this issue has remained so controversial, and why so many in the fishing community see Florida’s EFP as a long-overdue step toward management that reflects reality offshore.

In his public statement, DeSantis said that “activists and bureaucrats” are trying to stall the season, a remark that appears to point at two separate fronts. On one side are environmental and conservation groups that have publicly opposed the expanded EFP approach, arguing that it could weaken federal management safeguards and increase the risk of overfishing. On the other side is the broader federal fisheries management process itself, which has long been criticized by anglers and industry leaders for relying on data and stock assessments they believe do not match what is actually happening offshore.

That opposition is not just rhetorical. A lawsuit filed May 5 by the Southeastern Fisheries Association and several commercial fishing interests seeks to block NOAA’s newly approved South Atlantic red snapper EFPs. Their argument is that expanded recreational harvest could result in overfishing, interfere with the rebuilding plan, and place added long-term pressure on the stock while commercial fishermen remain under tight limits. In short, while anglers are celebrating the expanded access, some of the loudest objections are coming from those that benefit from keeping recreational access limited.

Environmental organizations have also added pressure to the conversation. Groups such as Ocean Conservancy and Environmental Defense Fund have voiced concerns that exempted fishing permits like these could sidestep the normal federal management framework at a time when red snapper remain under a rebuilding plan. Their position is that any large expansion in recreational access should be approached carefully and backed by strong data collection to avoid repeating past management mistakes.

Even so, a filed lawsuit does not automatically stop the season. Unless a judge issues an emergency order before May 22, Florida’s approved Atlantic red snapper season is still expected to begin as announced. At this point, the legal fight is something anglers should keep a close eye on, but it is not, as of now, the same thing as a canceled opener.

For Florida anglers, the bigger picture is clear: the fight over Atlantic red snapper is far from over. But for the countless families who have waited patiently for well over a decade, this season means more than a few extra days on the water. It means captains, crews, bait shops, marinas, fuel docks, restaurants, and coastal businesses finally seeing a little daylight after years of being asked to absorb the consequences of closures that never matched what they were seeing offshore.

After all these years, May 22 is not just an opening day. It is a long-overdue return of access, dignity, and trust to the people who live this fishery every day. It is a reminder that the families who fish these waters, feed their communities, and keep our working waterfronts alive still deserve a voice in how their future is managed.