The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced that the application period for Quarter 2 of its Atlantic Red Snapper Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP) Project is now open.
Recreational saltwater anglers and for-hire operators have a unique opportunity to participate in vital fisheries research and legally harvest (and keep) red snapper outside of the short federal season.
The application period begins on October 31 and will run for 10 days, closing on November 10. This project marks the second year the FWC has been awarded three EFPs by NOAA Fisheries to conduct research aimed at collecting better data on catch and discard rates of Atlantic red snapper and other snapper-grouper species.
The FWC hopes this ongoing collaboration will improve fisheries management in the South Atlantic.
Three Research Projects Seek Participants
The three studies of this research project will take place off Florida’s east coast, stretching from the Florida/Georgia line south to the Dry Tortugas. They all focus on several key goals:
- Testing an aggregate snapper-grouper bag limit to reduce the number of fish discarded.
- Improving the reporting of catch and discard information via the FWC app.
- Evaluating angler satisfaction of EFP participants compared to those operating under current federal regulations.
Data collected during Year 1 of the EFP project is already being incorporated into the upcoming Atlantic red snapper stock assessment, underscoring the immediate impact of angler participation.
How to Apply
The FWC is strongly encouraging Florida’s recreational saltwater anglers and for-hire operators to apply.
- FWC Hot Spot Fleet & FWC Southeast Florida Snapper Grouper Fleet Projects: Applicants must apply online at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. Participants for these two fleets will be selected via a lottery system.
- FWC Study Fleet Project: Applicants must complete a specific Study Fleet online application form. All applications for this fleet will be reviewed under a set of criteria prior to selection.
This research project is separate from the state management EFPs that FWC plans to work on for testing state management in 2026 and 2027. More information on the current research project can be found at MyFWC.com/AtlanticEFP.
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