Author: scbfaadmin

MURRELLS INLET, S.C. — After decades of federal mismanagement, South Carolina has taken a decisive step toward state management of Atlantic red snapper. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Director Dr. Tom Mullikin, alongside State Senator Stephen Goldfinch (R-Georgetown), announced today that SCDNR submitted an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) proposal to the U.S. Department of Commerce and NOAA Fisheries seeking a 61‑ or 62‑day season and the authority to manage the recreational fishery starting in 2026. The South Carolina Boating & Fishing Alliance (SCBFA) and Coastal Conservation Association South Carolina (CCA SC) praised the move as the most significant development for offshore anglers in 20+ years.

The permit, signed by SCDNR Deputy Director for Marine Resources Blaik Keppler and Regional Fisheries Manager Amy Dukes, follows years of coordination among state leaders, industry stakeholders, and conservation partners.

It also aligns South Carolina with Florida, which announced a 39-day proposal on Monday, as well as Georgia and North Carolina, which all submitted similar EFPs early this week.

The shared goal: restore access to one of the region’s most prized – and plentiful – fisheries by replacing the broken federal system with responsive, state-led management.

“This proposal is a game-changer for South Carolina anglers,” said Sen. Goldfinch. “We’ve made the case, and I fully expect the Trump Administration and Secretary Lutnick to recognize South Carolina’s readiness to lead. The days of one-size-fits-all federal mismanagement are coming to an end. It’s time for local control, better data, real access and opportunity.”

President Donald Trump previously signaled support for state snapper reform at his SCBFA Presidential Visit at Sportsman Boats in Summerville, S.C. on September 25, 2023, and by approving similar proposals in the Gulf of America in his first term, which led to successful transition to state control. The President pledged at the Summerville event to “rescind and revise absurd restrictions on recreational fishing, including red snapper and bottom fishing [in the South Atlantic].”

South Carolina’s congressional delegation, including Congressman Russell Fry (R-Surfside Beach) in his role co-chairing the South Atlantic Red Snapper Task Force, has worked closely with members of Congress to advance the State’s push for local control.

“For too long, our anglers and fishers have been limited by federal rules built on bad data,” said Congressman Fry. “With this state-led proposal, South Carolina has a real opportunity to reclaim access and apply modern, local science to management. I’m proud to serve on the South Atlantic Red Snapper Task Force and support efforts that put our anglers and coastal economy first.”

SCDNR submitted the formal EFP request November 10, 2025, in response to President Trump’s Executive Order 14276, “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.” The proposed permit would allow a 61- or 62-day recreational red snapper season in 2026, replacing the federal mini seasons (of one or two days) that have frustrated anglers for years. All trips under the EFP will require mandatory electronic reporting through a mobile app, and harvest limits will mirror existing state regulations – one fish per person with a 20‑inch minimum size limit – a framework Senator Goldfinch championed in 2022.

SCDNR’s EFP sharply rebukes the federal data-gathering system, Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), calling it unreliable for red snapper management. According to the application, “MRIP does not provide reliable catch estimates for red snapper landings or discards due to the narrow seasonal openings for harvest versus multi-month wave data collection design, resulting in low intercept rates of anglers and high percent standard errors (PSEs).” The EFP cites years with no available data; notes that PSEs for South Carolina landings have exceeded 50 percent in nearly every year since 1981, and states plainly that MRIP “is not a reliable source for monitoring in-season landings or annual discards of red snapper off the South Carolina coast.”

The state’s pilot program would test the ability of modern, state-run data systems to monitor harvests in real time and evaluate whether longer seasons can reduce risky “derby-style” fishing. That issue was highlighted in a bipartisan letter led by State Representative Lee Hewitt (R-Murrells Inlet) and signed by 17 lawmakers in July, following yet another year in which federal mini seasons coincided with hazardous offshore weather. South Carolina’s plan is modeled after the Gulf States’ successful transition to state management and echoes the growing demand across the South Atlantic for more local control federal waters fisheries.

“Director Mullikin and his team have shown a keen vision and tremendous leadership in answering the call for reform,” said Gettys Brannon, President & CEO of SCBFA. “This proposal is a turning point that reflects years of groundwork and a clear shift toward smarter, state-led fisheries management.”

Under the jurisdiction of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries, Atlantic red snapper has become the antithesis of common sense… contradicting all scientific rigor to bar access to America’s public resources. Despite data showing a healthier stock than in any time in recorded history, federal fisheries managers have been reluctant to provide anglers opportunity to harvest widely popular species.

“Today is a huge step forward for South Carolina recreational anglers regarding access and for advancing a state data collection and management process that is much more nimble and responsive to red snapper management scenarios” said CCA South Carolina Executive Director, Scott Whitaker. “We look forward to working with the State on the implementation of this plan to enhance public access, provide valuable scientific data, and improve long-term fishery sustainability.”

“From North Carolina to Florida, the fishing public is thrilled with the leadership of their state marine fisheries managers this week,” said Center for Sportfishing Policy President Jeff Angers. “These Exempted Fishing Permits promise a hopeful future for the fish, the fishermen and coastal communities. South Atlantic red snapper is a plentiful resource, and state management will ensure access and opportunity for all anglers in the region. Kudos to SCDNR for their leadership.”

The proposal has strong backing from elected officials at every level. Over the past year, governors, including South Carolina’s Henry McMaster, attorneys general, and congressional delegations from all four South Atlantic states have publicly backed transferring red snapper management to state control. Just last month, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson led a multistate letter urging federal officials to approve state-led management and reject the flawed federal data models.

SCDNR submitted its EFP to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Monday. If approved, South Carolina could implement a state-managed red snapper season beginning in 2026.

COLUMBIA, SC  — The South Carolina Boating & Fishing Alliance (SCBFA) and Coastal Conservation South Carolina joined national sportfishing organizations in welcoming a major step forward for red snapper reform as the Attorneys General of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida submitted a joint letter calling on the federal government to transfer management of South Atlantic red snapper to the states.

Addressed to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the letter was signed by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. It urges the administration to follow sound science, initiate a unbiased peer-reviewed evaluation of the upcoming Great Red Snapper Count (GRSC), and begin the transition toward a state-led management framework. This approach has already delivered better conservation outcomes and more access in the Gulf of America.

“From statehouse members to governors to bipartisan congressmen to attorneys general, the South Atlantic is speaking with one voice,” said Gettys Brannon, CEO of the South Carolina Boating & Fishing Alliance. “We are grateful to Attorney General Wilson for leading this effort. His action adds real momentum to the growing push for state management, which offers the best hope for longer seasons, better data, and fairer access to this incredible fishery.”

The Attorneys General called for three specific actions:

1.    Gold Standard Peer Review of the Red Snapper Count – Ensure the forthcoming Great Red Snapper Count is reviewed under President Trump’s executive order on Restoring Gold Standard Science to provide a credible, independent basis for future management.

2.    Transfer Data Collection to the States – Recognize that the South Atlantic states are already leading much of the data work and should be fully empowered and resourced to conduct modern, timely harvest monitoring.

3.    Begin the Shift to State Management – Use tools such as Exempted Fishing Permits and Emergency Regulations to quickly transfer decision-making to the states, without waiting for a years-long federal process.

This announcement comes amid growing bipartisan momentum for red snapper reform. In recent months, governors and congressional delegations from South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida have urged the U.S. Department of Commerce to move away from the current broken system. The newly formed House South Atlantic Red Snapper Task Force, co-chaired by Rep. John Rutherford (Fla.), Rep. Russell Fry (S.C.), Rep. Buddy Carter (Ga.), and Rep. David Rouzer (N.C.), is working to build congressional support for a new vision.

Last month, fisheries directors from South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina submitted a joint Action Plan to the Task Force outlining a path toward state-based management. The plan acknowledged that outdated federal data and a one-size-fits-all model have led to overly restrictive and unpredictable red snapper seasons, despite stock assessments showing a population larger than at any time in recorded history. The states committed to creating more responsive, science-driven systems that better balance conservation with angler access.

“It is not often you see this level of unity behind any issue, and I believe it speaks to the level of confidence that we have in the ability of our state wildlife managers to handle this task,” said Scott Whitaker, executive director of Coastal Conservation Association South Carolina. “Federal fisheries management has failed the public, and we are grateful that our elected officials – from our governor to our Congressional delegation to our attorney general – are united in recognizing that the states are the best managers of their own natural resources.”

Sportfishing groups from across the country voiced strong support for the Attorneys General and the pathway laid out in the letter, including the Center for Sportfishing Policy (CSP).

“When Attorneys General weigh in, it shows just how deeply this issue matters to their states,” said CSP President Jeff Angers. “This letter is not just about red snapper. It’s about restoring balance between Washington and the states. The South Atlantic governors, congressional delegation, and now the AGs are all saying the same thing: the states are ready to lead. And when they do, anglers, conservation, and coastal economies win.”

COLUMBIA, SC  — South Carolina’s congressional delegation, led by Congressman Russell Fry (R-Surfside Beach) and joined by U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott and Representatives Joe Wilson, Ralph Norman, Nancy Mace, William Timmons, and Sheri Biggs, has formally urged U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to transfer management of the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery to the states.

In a joint letter sent this week, the delegation expressed “strong support for a new state-led framework to ensure more effective, science-based stewardship” of a fishery at the center of South Carolina’s $6.5 billion recreational boating and fishing industry.

“For too long, federal mismanagement has hurt our coastal communities and undermined trust in the system,” said Congressman Fry. “South Carolina anglers deserve better than critical decisions based on bad data. It’s time to follow the successful model we’ve seen in the Gulf of America and let states lead the way, just like we did under the first Trump administration in the Gulf.”

The letter represents a growing movement to shift red snapper management away from the federal government’s flawed, one-size-fits-all model and toward a state-led approach grounded in better data, local knowledge and on-the-water realities.

“NOAA’s continued use of highly questionable MRIP estimates has led to disastrous, economically harmful policies that unnecessarily restrict angler access and harm our coastal communities,” the delegation wrote, citing the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), which the National Academy of Sciences has labeled “fatally flawed.”

Despite NOAA’s own 2021 stock assessment showing red snapper are “rebuilding ahead of schedule,” the agency allowed just one day of recreational harvest in the South Atlantic in 2024.

The congressional letter follows a May 15 letter from Governor Henry McMaster, who cautioned Secretary Lutnick that NOAA’s new restrictions “further undermine public confidence in the federal government’s management of fisheries off our coast.”

McMaster called the potential closure from Amendment 59 “an increasing threat to our state’s economy,” which includes more than 725,000 licensed anglers, nearly 500,000 registered boats, and over 640 marine-dependent businesses.

“I ask that you give thoughtful consideration to reversing NOAA’s restrictions on red snapper fishing in the South Atlantic and remove the barriers to offshore recreational fishing they create,” McMaster wrote in his letter.

The delegation’s action also comes just weeks after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced a record-setting 126-day red snapper season for Gulf anglers — made possible by that region’s successful shift to state-led fisheries management during President Trump’s first term in 2017.

In support of the overarching move to empower the states, Governor McMaster recently signed and heralded State Senator Stephen Goldfinch’s (R-Georgetown) S. 219, a state law giving South Carolina authority over all 55 species in the snapper-grouper complex within state waters.

“South Carolina continues to be bound by federal regulations that don’t reflect the reality on our coast,” said Senator Goldfinch. “While Gulf states are expanding their fishing seasons, we’ve continuously faced more restrictive measures based off flawed science and data practices from NOAA, leading to just a single day of snapper fishing and threatened closures.”

“The Gulf of America faced a similar crisis and found a solution,” the congressional delegation wrote. “That effort restored reasonable access, improved accountability, and strengthened conservation outcomes. We believe it is time for the South Atlantic to follow that successful example.”

Sportfishing leaders applauded South Carolina’s unified leadership and echoed the call for urgent reform.

“Our federal system is failing the people who rely on these waters,” said Gettys Brannon, President and CEO of the South Carolina Boating & Fishing Alliance. “Congressman Fry and Governor McMaster have shown tremendous leadership. It’s time for a better way forward: one that puts local knowledge and modern science at the heart of fisheries management.”

“The one-size-fits-all approach from Washington is broken,” said Jeff Angers, President of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. “The Gulf states proved that when you empower state agencies with the right tools, access improves, conservation strengthens, and trust is restored. The South Atlantic deserves that same opportunity.”

“Recreational boating and fishing in South Carolina contributes $6.5 billion to the state’s economy and supports more than 27,000 jobs,” added Martha Guyas, Southeast Fisheries Policy Director for the American Sportfishing Association. “However, federal management of red snapper has been excessively restrictive, limiting the ability of anglers to get on the water and harvest this remarkably abundant fishery. We thank the South Carolina Congressional delegation for supporting solutions to improve red snapper management for the benefit of all those who enjoy our marine resources.”

The delegation’s letter urges the U.S. Department of Commerce to:

1.    Pause implementation of Amendment 59 and similar sweeping closures;

2.    Support cooperative, state-led fisheries management modeled after the Gulf red snapper program, and

3.    Empower states to deliver better data, more balanced access, and greater accountability in managing offshore fisheries.

States across the South Atlantic are preparing to expand offshore angler surveys and modernize data collection efforts, laying the groundwork for a regional shift toward state-led fisheries management modeled after the successful Gulf program.

“Our position is simple,” added Brannon. “When the states are allowed to lead, fisheries recover, public trust improves, and recreational opportunity grows. That’s the future we’re fighting for.”

For the full letter click here.

COLUMBIA, SC  — Governor Henry McMaster last week signed into law Senate Bill 219, marking a significant victory in the movement toward state management of the snapper-grouper fishery. 

Championed by State Senator Stephen Goldfinch (R-Georgetown), the new law sets up a state-specific fishing season for all 55 species in the snapper-grouper species complex.

“This new law reflects South Carolina’s commitment to common sense, homegrown solutions,” said Governor Henry McMaster. “Our anglers deserve a system that’s fair, science-driven, and tailored to our state’s unique waters, not a one size fits all approach. With S. 219, we begin putting our state in the driver’s seat to manage our resources responsibly and protect access for current and future generations.”

The law’s signing comes at a crucial time, just weeks after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced a record-breaking 126-day red snapper season for anglers on the Gulf of America in 2025.

In contrast, anglers in the South Atlantic (South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida) may only have one day of snapper fishing and could potentially lose all access to bottom fishing for 55 stocks of fish in parts of the region due to Amendment 59, proposed by the Biden Administration seven days before he left office.

S.C. new state law establishes fishing seasons, catch limits, and minimum size requirements for 55 species of fish under the Snapper-Grouper Fishery Management Plan out to three nautical miles, which were previously governed solely by federal restrictions.

“This law affirms South Carolina’s capacity to manage our state waters with precision and purpose and will assist the agency in expanding data collection efforts” said Dr. Tom Mullikin, Director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. “We are committed to developing and using locally informed science to create more fishing access while preserving marine ecosystems. This law is proof that conservation and access can go hand in hand.”

The law builds upon Senator Goldfinch’s previous efforts to exclude red snapper and black sea bass from federal regulations in state waters. The new law expands this framework to include all 55 species under the snapper-grouper complex, giving South Carolina greater control over its fisheries.

This represents a critical step toward securing local control over South Carolina’s fisheries, addressing the overregulation that has historically limited opportunities for the state’s anglers and boaters.

“For too long, we’ve been bound by federal regulations that don’t make sense for South Carolina,” said Senator Goldfinch. “While Gulf states are expanding their fishing seasons, we’ve continuously faced more restrictive measures based off flawed science and data practices from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), leading to just a single day of snapper fishing and threatened closures. This bill gives us the starting point we need to protect our fisheries to maximize fishing opportunities for South Carolina’s anglers. This law is not just a win for anglers; it’s a win for everyone who values our state’s natural resources.”

NOAA has admitted multiple times over the past 13 years that its Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) data, used to inform fishing regulations, is flawed, most recently confessing to overestimating catch by up to 40%. These repeated errors in data management underscore the need for a more reliable, locally informed approach to fisheries management.

“Senator Goldfinch has been a tireless advocate for our state’s fishing communities,” said Gettys Brannon, President and CEO of the South Carolina Boating & Fishing Alliance. “This law empowers South Carolina to begin taking control of its fisheries, ensuring that our anglers and boaters are on a path where they no longer face the restrictive and often misinformed regulations imposed by NOAA. This is a win for the recreational fishing community and the state’s economy.”

Scott Whitaker, Executive Director CCA South Carolina, echoed these sentiments: “This law marks a significant shift in how we manage our marine resources, moving away from overbearing federal oversight and towards local, science-based decision-making. We are grateful for the leadership of Senator Goldfinch, Governor McMaster, Director Mullikin and all those who have supported this legislation to protect both our environment and our fishing heritage.”

S. 219’s passage is also praised by national conservation leaders, including Jeff Angers, President of the Center for Sportfishing Policy, who said: “South Carolina is at the front of the pack with its can-do attitude; its stand-out director and its newly enacted snapper grouper seasons in state waters.”

South Carolina’s boating and fishing industry contributes $6.5 billion annually to the state’s economy and supports more than 27,100 jobs. The passage of S.219 marks a major step toward long-sought state control over the snapper-grouper fishery in the South Atlantic — an approach that has served as both an economic boon and a blueprint for sustainable fisheries management in the Gulf of America since its implementation in 2017. This state-led model has not only expanded access for anglers but also strengthened conservation outcomes through more accurate, locally driven data collection.

South Carolina’s congressional delegation has consistently advocated for state management measures, recognizing the need for local control over the state’s valuable fisheries resources.

The law received broad national support from the Center for Sportfishing Policy, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, American Sportfishing Association, and Coastal Conservation Association.