BRUNSWICK — The U.S. Secretary of Commerce has approved a request by NOAA Fisheries to allow limited harvest of red snapper in the federal waters of the South Atlantic.
Anglers can harvest red snapper Sept. 16 and again Sept. 21-23. Each angler is allowed one red snapper per day with no size restriction.  
Georgia DNR is working with NOAA Fisheries in an effort to collect data on the South Atlantic red snapper population.  The data will be used to estimate harvest, discards and fishing effort and to determine the age, size and growth of red snapper in the population.  There are several ways that Georgia anglers can help.
Anglers can place filleted red-snapper carcasses in chest freezers located at fishing access points along the Georgia coast. A list of location is at www.coastalgadnr.org. Over the past decade, the Carcass Recovery Project has collected thousands of fish carcasses that help inform biologists of the size, age and gender of saltwater fish being harvested by anglers.  Each freezer has catch cards and plastic bags to be used by participating anglers. DNR staff will check carcass freezers each afternoon during the days when red snapper harvest is allowed. One angler who participates in this special effort will receive a $100 Bass Pro Shops gift card.
  Anglers also can provide information about their red-snapper fishing trip by going to www.coastalgadnr.org and completing a survey with questions about the date of trip, length of trip and departure location, as well as depth fished and the number and size of fish harvested and released. Anglers who provide their name and contact information will be eligible for a drawing to receive a $100 gift card from Bass Pro Shops.
Finally, CRD staff will be conducting routine interviews at boating access points so they can intercept red-snapper anglers to collect information on their fishing trip and catch. Anglers are encouraged to participate in these dockside surveys by answering questions and allowing their catch to be processed for biological data.   
The recreational harvest of red snapper in federal waters will be until 12:01 a.m. Sept. 17 and again from 12:01 a.m. Sept. 21 until 12:01 a.m. Sept. 24.  During the open recreational season, the bag limit is one fish per person per day and there is no minimum size limit.
The commercial harvest of red snapper in federal waters will be allowed from 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 17 until 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 24.  During the open commercial season, the trip limit is 50 pounds gutted weight and there is no minimum size limit.  
More information on red snapper regulations in federal waters can be found at www.safmc.net or at www.sero.nmfs.gov.