The public comment period on South Carolina's revised Atlantic red snapper Exempted Fishing Permit application runs from August 10 to August 25, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.
Based on a release from S.C. Dept. of Natural Resources.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries has released the agency’s revised application for an Atlantic red snapper Exempted Fishing Permit for public review, according to SCDNR.
The public comment period will open August 10 and close August 25, 2026, according to SCDNR. The revised application and instructions for submitting comments are available through NOAA Fisheries, according to the agency.
SCDNR encourages anglers, members of the fishing industry, conservation organizations and other interested members of the public to review the revised application and submit comments, according to the department.
The revised application follows SCDNR’s previous decision to withdraw its original permit proposal after it was put on hold due to litigation, according to SCDNR. Working with NOAA Fisheries and regional partners, SCDNR revised the proposal to address questions while maintaining the permit’s objective of testing and improving recreational fisheries data collection and evaluating an alternative approach to managing South Carolina’s Atlantic red snapper fishery, according to the department.
The proposed program would include a recreational red snapper season for October under the authority of the permit, mandatory trip registration and electronic catch reporting by participating anglers, and collection of improved recreational fisheries data to help inform future management decisions, according to SCDNR.
The revised proposal reflects continued collaboration among SCDNR, NOAA Fisheries, neighboring southeastern states, recreational anglers, for-hire operators, conservation organizations and other stakeholders interested in improving the management of Atlantic red snapper, according to the department.
“South Carolina remains committed to working collaboratively with our federal and state partners and with anglers to develop better approaches for managing this important fishery,” said Dr. Tom Mullikin, director of SCDNR. “This proposal is intended to address the questions that were raised while continuing to explore innovative, science-based methods that improve recreational data collection and support sustainable fisheries management.”
