QUARTER 4 UPDATE
June 2025
VIEW THIS AS A WEBPAGE
We are more than halfway through Quarter 4 of the FWC Atlantic Red Snapper Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) Project and wanted to provide a status update to all anglers participating.
In Quarter 4, we had 5,830 applicants and of those, 410 were randomly selected to participate in this project.
Currently, 193 anglers have completed the education course and 225 have completed the pre-fishing satisfaction surveys!
So far 127 EFP trips have been reported in Quarter 4. Of these, 83 have been sampled by FWC biologists. To date we have collected data from 464 fish. This includes 309 red snapper, 43 vermilion snapper, 27 greater amberjack, and 17 banded rudderfish among other species provided by anglers. This will provide the crucial biological data needed for better management of South Atlantic snapper grouper species.
 When fishing for reef fish, red snapper were selected as one of the top 5 most important species by 80% of Quarter 4 anglers.
Experimental Groups and Study Fleet:
One goal of these studies is t test if capping the number of snapper grouper species that anglers can harvest could potentially help reduce the number of red snapper discarded. We want to encourage anglers to keep this in mind while fishing for these trips and please do not use your trips to only target red snapper.
For a harvested fish to count towards the 15-fish snapper grouper aggregate limit, it must currently be in season and of legal size. For example, make sure the grouper and tilefish you are harvesting are in season.
The only species exempt from state and federal regulations during this study is red snapper, which does not count towards your 15 fish snapper grouper bag limit.
Control Groups:
If you are part of the Control Group PLEASE PARTICIPATE. Though you are not allowed to keep red snapper as the control group, your trips allow us to directly compare the effectiveness of current federal regulations to the EFP regulations. If you complete trips and report your data, you will receive preference points for future participation in the experimental group for the Hot Spot Fleet and Southeast Florida Snapper Grouper Fleet in year 2 of the EFP project.
All EFP Anglers:
EFP trips can not be declared during this year's federal recreational Atlantic red snapper season (taking place July 11-12).
Hot Spot and SE Florida Snapper Grouper Fleet participants: please report only the fish that YOU catch. Your fleet is reporting data from the individual EFP participant, not from the entire vessel's catch.
Last day of fishing in Quarter 4 for an EFP fleet trip is July 31. Stay up to date on year 2 application periods and start dates by visiting our web page at www.MyFWC.com/AtlanticEFP.
 Did you know that the more trips you complete and report, the more prizes you can receive? Anglers will be mailed custom dry fit shirts, circle hooks, and dehooking tools for completing trips and reporting the data. Additionally, anglers that complete all EFP trips during the given quarter will be entered into drawings to win Engel coolers and Daiwa fishing reels.
Thank you to our EFP Project sponsors
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