Upcoming rule changes in Florida's Atlantic state waters for recreational harvest of red porgy, blueline tilefish and snowy grouper
Top to bottom: Illustrations of snowy grouper, Atlantic red porgy and blueline tilefish.
At its Feb. 22 meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a rule to modify recreational regulations for red porgy, snowy grouper and blueline tilefish in Florida’s Atlantic state waters, in order to be consistent with current and also pending regulations in adjacent Atlantic federal waters.
The recreational management changes for Atlantic state waters include:
• Reducing the red porgy bag limit from 3 to 1 fish per person per day, and establishing an open season of May-June.
• Reducing the snowy grouper bag limit from 1 fish per person per day, to 1 fish per vessel per day, and establishing an open season of May-June.
• Reducing the blueline tilefish bag limit from 3 to 2 fish per person per day, and prohibiting for-hire captain and crew members from retaining a bag limit.
• Last year, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved management changes to help rebuild the red porgy and snowy grouper stocks, which are overfished and undergoing overfishing, and to reduce the risk of overfishing for blueline tilefish.
Consistent regulations between state and federal waters can help improve the stock status of these fisheries, prevent federal closures while allowing harvest opportunities coast-wide, and aid in enforcement of regulations.
The red porgy recreational limits will be effective April 1, 2023 in Atlantic state waters, and the snowy grouper and blueline tilefish regulations will go into effect at a later date, once pending federal regulations have been implemented.
Learn more about recreational saltwater fishing regulations at MyFWC.com/Marine or download the Fish Rules App at Instagram.com/FishRulesApp or Facebook.com/FishRulesApp.