Louisiana adds 8 days to recreational red snapper season

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Anglers will be able to go after red snapper off Louisiana for eight more days, starting at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

The limit will be four red snapper a day — up from three during the weekends-only season that ran from May 7 until Sept. 19, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said in a news release.

The department closed the season so staffers could analyze the catch so far of the prized game and table fish. They found that more than 39,000 pounds (17,690 kilograms) of the private recreational quota remained, allowing the additional days and higher limit.

Properly licensed anglers may catch red snapper in both state and federal waters during Louisiana’s season. The federal government regulates commercial and federally licensed charter boats, but the five Gulf states have set private recreational seasons off their coasts since 2018.

Louisiana’s quota rose from 784,332 pounds (355,767 kilograms) in 2020 to 832,493 pounds (377,612 kilograms) in 2021, after a detailed survey largely funded by Congres found more than scientists had realized were living in the Gulf of Mexico.

Louisiana’s total recreational quota for 2022 is 809,315 pounds (367,098 kilograms) pounds. The department said anglers went nearly 7,000 pounds (3,175 kilograms) over the private recreational allocation last year, so that amount was taken from this year’s total limit of 816,233 pounds (370,237 kilograms) .

The department has more information on the 2022 red snapper season and detailed landing estimates at http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/red-snapper.

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