(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) – Keep Florida Fishing® (KFF), an advocacy arm of the American Sportfishing Association, encourages Florida anglers to use the iAngler app to share real-time catch data with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to help improve the accuracy of harvest data for the 2019 Gulf red snapper recreational season in state and federal waters opening Tuesday, June 11 through Friday, July 12.

Florida is testing a pilot program again this year to set their own recreational red snapper season in state and federal waters through an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP), issued by NOAA Fisheries. Florida’s pilot program allows FWC to test state management in both Gulf state and federal waters through the 2019 season, including data collection and quota monitoring, and was approved into the future under the recently adopted Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Reef Fish Amendment 50. Private recreational anglers must also sign up for the Gulf Reef Fish Survey (GRFS) to target red snapper and other reef fish species.

“Thanks to FWC’s leadership to modernize recreational data collection, Florida is able to tailor its management of Gulf red snapper to the needs of its anglers in both state and federal waters. As a result, we are seeing an increase in angler access to red snapper. What was once a proposed three-day season in 2017, is now 32-continuous days of recreational red snapper fishing. The state’s innovative data collection through iAngler and GRFS is essential to maintain state management of Gulf red snapper in Florida,” said Kellie Ralston, Southeast Fisheries Policy Director of American Sportfishing Association.

“As the Fishing Capital of the World, Florida understands the importance of managing its own fisheries for the benefit of our angling community and the resource. We appreciate FWC’s efforts to increase access to the red snapper fishery while maintaining conservation goals that align with our mission to advocate for clean waters, abundant fisheries, and access to both,” said Gary Jennings, Director of Keep Florida Fishing.

Visit FWC’s website for more information.

About Keep Florida Fishing®
Keep Florida Fishing® is an advocacy arm of the American Sportfishing Association with the goal of ensuring Florida anglers have clean waters, abundant fisheries and access to both. Florida is considered the ‘Fishing Capital of the World’ and home to more than four million licensed anglers, supporting 54,785 jobs, providing $6.8 billion in economic activity and contributing more than $53.3 million for fisheries conservation. Learn more at www.KeepFloridaFishing.org. Find Keep Florida Fishing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Contact: Kendra Parson, 850.391.5040, kendra@on3pr.com