FWC’s Atlantic Red Snapper Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) Project

1. Hot Spot Fleet:
   • Allowed to fish a maximum of 3 FWC Hot Spot Fleet fishing trips targeting snapper grouper during each quarter.
   • Allowed to harvest 4 red snapper per day under an Exempted Fishing Permit.
   • Participants will be required to stop fishing for all snapper grouper species (i.e., bottom fishing) once they have reached the 10-fish snapper grouper aggregate bag limit.
   • Other requirements are listed in the Program Requirement section.
2. 10-fish Snapper Grouper Aggregate – participant must stop bottom fishing for snapper grouper species (i.e., can still target other species, like inshore fishes or pelagics) once they reach the snapper grouper-aggregate. Species must meet current state and federal regulations to apply towards bag limit.
   • Up to 4 red snapper
   • Only 1 fish can be a gag, black, or scamp grouper
   • Up to 2 fish can be red, yellowfin, yellowmouth, coney, graysby, red hind, or rock hind grouper
   • Only 1 fish can be a red porgy, blueline tilefish, or golden tilefish
   • Only 1 fish can be greater amberjack
   • Up to 3 fish can be lesser amberjack, almaco jack, or banded rudderfish
   • Up to 5 fish can be black sea bass
   • Up to 5 fish can be gray triggerfish
   • Up to 7 fish can be grunts
   • Up to 7 fish can be Atlantic spadefish or bar jack
   • Up to 7 fish can be porgies (red porgy excluded)
   • Up to 7 can be schoolmaster, gray, lane, yellowtail, queen, silk, or blackfin snapper
   • Up to 5 can be vermilion, cubera, or mutton snapper

1. Eligibility: If selected in the lottery, participants must have a valid Florida recreational fishing license (or be exempt as per Chapter 379.353 F.S.) and sign up for the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Any private recreational angler that does not have a resource violation would be eligible to participate in the Hot Spot Fleet.  
2. Reporting: If selected in the lottery, participants must fill out a logbook of data for the trip and then must transfer this information to FWC’s app within 48 after the FWC Hot Spot Fleet trip is completed.  Type of information includes catch and discard data of species caught, areas fished, and time spent fishing.  Participants must schedule a FWC Hot Spot Fleet trip in FWC’s app.
3. Education requirement: If selected in the lottery, participants must take an educational course before fishing in a FWC Hot Spot Fleet trip.
4. Dockside validation: If selected in the lottery, participants must be willing to submit to sampling of their catch by FWC biologists.
5. Angler satisfaction survey: If selected in the lottery, participants must be willing to take a pre- and post-participation survey and be interviewed by FWC staff.
6. Other requirements: Retain a copy of the EFP and SAL on-board the vessel used for FWC Hot Spot Fleet trips.

1. Hook and line only
2. Single hook rig with circle hook, when fishing with natural bait
   • Non-stainless steel, non-offset circle hooks
3. Federal waters: descending devices are required to be rigged and ready
4. State waters: descending devices or venting tools are required to be rigged and ready; descending device and/or venting tool must be used if fish is experiencing barotrauma.

1. Southeast Snapper Grouper Fleet
   
   • Allowed to fish a maximum of 2 FWC SE Florida Snapper Grouper Fleet fishing trips targeting snapper grouper during each quarter.
   • Allowed to harvest 3 red snapper per day outside under an Exempted Fishing Permit.
   • Participants will be required to stop fishing for all snapper grouper species (i.e., bottom fishing) once they have reached the 10-fish snapper grouper aggregate bag limit.
   • Other requirements are listed in the Program Requirement section.
2. 10-fish Snapper Grouper Aggregate – Each participant must stop bottom fishing for snapper grouper species (i.e., can still target other species, like inshore fishes or pelagics) once they reach the snapper grouper-aggregate. Species must meet current state and federal regulations to apply towards bag limit.
   • Up to 3 red snapper
   • Only 1 fish can be a gag, black, or scamp grouper
   • Up to 2 fish can be red, yellowfin, yellowmouth, coney, graysby, red hind, or rock hind grouper
   • Only 1 fish can be a red porgy, blueline tilefish, or golden tilefish
   • Only 1 fish can be greater amberjack
   • Up to 3 fish can be lesser amberjack, almaco jack, or banded rudderfish
   • Up to 5 fish can be black sea bass
   • Up to 5 fish can be gray triggerfish
   • Up to 7 fish can be grunts
   • Up to 7 fish can be Atlantic spadefish or bar jack
   • Up to 7 fish can be porgies (red porgy excluded)
   • Up to 7 can be schoolmaster, gray, lane, yellowtail, queen, silk, or blackfin snapper
   • Up to 5 can be vermilion, cubera, or mutton snapper

1. Eligibility: If selected in the lottery, participants must have a valid Florida recreational fishing license (or be exempt as per Chapter 379.353 F.S.) and sign up for the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Any private recreational angler that does not have a resource violation would be eligible to participate in the FWC SE FL Snapper Grouper Fleet.  
2. Reporting: If selected in the lottery, participants must fill out a logbook of data for the trip and then must transfer this information to FWC’s app within 48 hours after the FWC SE FL Snapper Grouper Fleet trip is completed.  Type of information includes catch and discard data at the species level, areas fished, and time spent fishing.  Participants must schedule a FWC SE FL Snapper Grouper Fleet trip in FWC’s app. 
3. Education requirement: If selected in the lottery, FWC participants must take a 3-part module educational course before fishing in a FWC SE FL Snapper Grouper Fleet trip.
4. Dockside validation: If selected in the lottery, participants must be willing to submit to sampling of their catch by FWC biologists.
5. Angler satisfaction survey: If selected in the lottery, participants must be willing to take a pre- and post-participation survey and be interviewed by FWC staff.
6. Other requirements: Retain a copy of the EFP and SAL on-board the vessel used for SE FL Snapper Grouper Fleet trips.

1. Hook and line only
2. Single hook rig with circle hook, when fishing with natural baits.
   • North of 28° N latitude: Non-stainless steel, non-offset circle hooks
   • South of 28° S latitude: Non-stainless steel hooks
3. Federal waters: descending devices are required to be rigged and ready
4. State waters: descending devices or venting tools are required to be rigged and ready; descending device and/or venting tool must be used if fish is experiencing barotrauma.

1. Groups
   • Charter-for hire captains: 6
     • Allowed to fish a maximum of 4 FWC Study Fleet trips targeting snapper grouper species during each quarter.
     • Allowed to harvest up to 24 red snapper per vessel during approved FWC Study Fleet trips under an Exempted Fishing Permit.
     • Captains must require individual anglers to stop targeted snapper grouper fishing (i.e., bottom fishing) once they reach their respective 10-fish snapper grouper aggregate bag limit and must require the vessel stop targeted snapper-grouper fishing once the snapper-grouper aggregate bag limit of 10-fish has been met for all anglers or the vessel limit of 24 red snapper has been met (whichever occurs first).
     • Other requirements are listed in the Program Requirement section.
   • Headboat captains: 1
     • Allowed to fish a maximum of 4 FWC Study Fleet trips targeting snapper grouper species during each quarter.
     • Allowed to harvest up to 36 red snapper per vessel during approved FWC Study Fleet trips under an Exempted Fishing Permit.
     • Captains must require individual anglers to stop targeted snapper grouper fishing (i.e., bottom fishing) once they reach their respective 10-fish snapper grouper aggregate bag limit and must require the vessel stop targeted snapper-grouper fishing once the snapper-grouper aggregate bag limit of 10-fish has been met for all anglers or the vessel limit of 36 red snapper has been met (whichever occurs first).
     • Other requirements are listed in the Program Requirement section.
   • Private recreational captains: 5
     
     • Allowed to fish a maximum of 4 FWC Study Fleet trips targeting snapper grouper species during each quarter.
     • Allowed to harvest up to 24 red snapper per vessel during approved FWC Study Fleet trips under an Exempted Fishing Permit.
     • Captains must require individual anglers to stop targeted snapper grouper fishing (i.e., bottom fishing) once they reach their respective 10-fish snapper grouper aggregate bag limit and must require the vessel stop targeted snapper-grouper fishing once the snapper-grouper aggregate bag limit of 10-fish has been met for all anglers or the vessel limit of 24 red snapper has been met (whichever occurs first).
     • Other requirements are listed in the Program Requirement section.
2. 10-fish Snapper Grouper Aggregate – Each participant must stop bottom fishing for snapper grouper species (i.e., can still target other species, like inshore fishes or pelagics) once they reach the snapper grouper-aggregate. Species must meet current state and federal regulations to apply towards bag limit.
   • Only 1 fish can be a gag, black, or scamp grouper
   • Up to 2 fish can be red, yellowfin, yellowmouth, coney, graysby, red hind, or rock hind grouper
   • Only 1 fish can be a red porgy, blueline tilefish, or golden tilefish
   • Only 1 fish can be greater amberjack
   • Up to 3 fish can be lesser amberjack, almaco jack, or banded rudderfish
   • Up to 5 fish can be black sea bass
   • Up to 5 fish can be gray triggerfish
   • Up to 7 fish can be grunts
   • Up to 7 fish can be Atlantic spadefish or bar jack
   • Up to 7 fish can be porgies (red porgy excluded)
   • Up to 7 can be schoolmaster, gray, lane, yellowtail, queen, silk, or blackfin snapper
   • Up to 5 can be vermilion, cubera, or mutton snapper

1. Eligibility  
   • Captains/owners of private vessels, captains of charter vessels, and headboats that fish within the proposal area are eligible to apply to participate in the Study Fleet.
     • Private recreational captains are defined as someone who will be responsible for safe operation of the vessel during FWC Study Fleet trips and, if born after Jan. 1, 1988, has successfully completed an FWC approved boating safety course and obtained a Boating Safety Education Identification Card. A captain may be exempt from these requirements if they are licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard as master of a vessel or are a nonresident that has completed a NASBLA approved boater safety course or equivalent examination from another state.
     • Charter captains are defined as someone who will be responsible for safe operation of the vessel during FWC Study Fleet trips and is licensed by the U.S.C.G. to carry for-hire passengers and has the appropriate federal and state charter permits. Further, to be eligible to participate in this program, charter vessels are limited to a maximum of 6 anglers (excluding the captain and crew) per designated fishing trip.
     • Headboat captains are defined as someone who will be responsible for safe operation of the vessel during FWC Study Fleet trips and is licensed by the U.S.C.G. to carry for-hire passengers and has the appropriate federal and state charter permits. Further, to be eligible to participate in this program, headboat captains must be able to carry more than 6 passengers and charge a per-angler fee. 
   • All anglers fishing from private vessels must have a Florida recreational fishing license (or be exempt as per Chapter 379.353 F.S.) and be signed up for Florida’s State Reef Fish Survey (SRFS) prior to fishing aboard a trip as part of the FWC Study Fleet.
2. Additional Requirements
   • Any captain that does not have a resource violation would be eligible to participate in the FWC Study Fleet. Reporting Requirements for Captain
   • If selected, captains must fill out a logbook of data for the trip and then must transfer this information to FWC’s app within 48 hours of conclusion of the trip. Type of information includes catch and discard data for each angler at the species level, areas fished, and time spent fishing.
   • Captains must schedule a FWC Study Fleet trip in FWC’s app and this trip MUST BE APPROVED BY FWC STAFF prior to departing on a FWC Study Fleet trip.
   • Once approved, captains  must coordinate with FWC staff so a biologist can take biological samples to catch at a public marina or dock.
3. Education requirement: If selected, private captains and all anglers onboard their vessel must take an educational course before fishing in a FWC Study Fleet trip. For-hire captains must take the educational course before fishing in a FWC Study Fleet trip, but anglers on-board their vessel are only required to be briefed on Module 1 of the educational course by the for-hire captain prior to hooks in the water. 
4. Validation: If selected, captains will be required to coordinate with FWC staff prior to a Study Fleet trip so FWC biologists can collect biological samples (i.e., otoliths, fin clips for DNA, length/weight) from their snapper grouper catch at a public marina or dock. For validation purposes, on private recreational vessels, cameras will be placed on board and on for-hire vessels, observers may be placed on board.
5. Angler satisfaction survey: Participants must be willing to take a pre- and post-participation survey and be interviewed by FWC staff if needed.
6. Other requirements: Retain a copy of the EFP and SAL on-board the vessel used for FWC Study Fleet trips.

1. Hook and line only
2. Single hook rig with circle hook.
3. Federal waters: descending devices are required to be rigged and ready.
4. State waters: descending devices or venting tools are required to be be rigged and ready; descending device and/or venting tool must be used if fish is experiencing barotrauma.

It’s an alternative management strategy that FWC will test during these studies to reduce dead discards. Selected participants will be allowed to harvest 10 different snapper grouper species (outlined below), and they will be required to stop bottom fishing once the snapper grouper aggregate bag limit is reached.

Note: Participants must follow all current state and federal seasons and bag limits for the species below. For the Hot Spot Fleet and SE FL Snapper Grouper Fleets, red snapper is included in the aggregate bag limit.

The aggregate bag limit is as follows:

• Only 1 fish can be a gag, black, or scamp grouper
• Up to 2 fish can be red, yellowfin, yellowmouth, coney, graysby, red hind, or rock hind grouper
• Only 1 fish can be a red porgy, blueline tilefish, or golden tilefish
• Only 1 fish can be greater amberjack
• Up to 3 fish can be lesser amberjack, almaco jack, or banded rudderfish
• Up to 5 fish can be black sea bass
• Up to 5 fish can be gray triggerfish
• Up to 7 fish can be grunts
• Up to 7 fish can be Atlantic spadefish or bar jack
• Up to 7 fish can be porgies (red porgy excluded)
• Up to 7 can be schoolmaster, gray, lane, yellowtail, queen, silk, or blackfin snapper
• Up to 5 can be vermilion, cubera, or mutton snapper

A fish that is caught alive, but later dies after it is released. Fish are often discarded due to regulatory requirements (e.g., out of season, bag or size limits, etc.) 

The FWC manages fisheries in Florida’s Atlantic state waters (shore to 3 nautical miles (nm)), and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries manage fisheries such as reef fish in South Atlantic federal waters (from 3 nm to as far as 200 nm).

For more information you can contact us at AtlanticEFP@MyFWC.com or call (850) 901-5063.

Better science and understanding of our current red snapper fishery can lead to improved management. This includes collecting better catch and discard data directly from anglers and testing an innovative bag limit management strategy to reduce discards.

Hot Spot and SE Snapper Grouper Fleet: During the open application period, applicants must apply at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com and participants will be selected via a random lottery.

FWC Study Fleet: During the open application period, applicants must complete the Study Fleet online application form, and all Study Fleet applications will be evaluated using Study Fleet criteria and participants will be selected by FWC staff.

No, participants may only be selected for one study per quarter.

Yes, participants may apply for every quarter throughout the study.