Florida’s Red Snapper Season Closes July 17 in Gulf State, Federal Waters
The 2012 Gulf of Mexico red snapper recreational harvest season will close July 17 in state and federal waters; the last day of harvest is July 16.
This year’s 46-day state season, which is the same as the 2012 federal recreational red snapper season in the Gulf of Mexico, was set in May at a meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The season was extended at the end of June, because bad weather led to decreased fishing opportunities. The season started June 1.
Florida state waters in the Gulf extend from shore to nine nautical miles; federal waters extend beyond that line to 200 nautical miles.
More information about red snapper fishing is available online at MyFWC.com/Fishing (click on “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and then “Gulf Red Snapper”).
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came into existence on July 1, 1999 - the result of a constitutional amendment approved in the 1998 General Election as part of the package proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission.
In the implementation of the Constitutional Amendment, the Florida Legislature combined all of the staff and Commissioners of the former Marine Fisheries Commission, elements of the Divisions of Marine Resources and Law Enforcement of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and all of the employees and Commissioners of the former Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.
Five years later, after consulting stakeholders, employees and other interested parties, the FWC adopted a new internal structure to address complex conservation issues of the new century. The new structure focuses on programs, such as habitat management, that affect numerous species. It will focus on moving the decision-making process closer to the public and did not require any additional funding or additional positions.
