Recreational regulation changes for Atlantic red porgy start April 1

Starting April 1 in Atlantic state waters, the red porgy recreational bag limit will reduce from three to one fish per person/day and the open recreational season will be May – June.  As such, red porgy will be closed to recreational harvest in Atlantic state waters starting April 1 and will re-open on May 1.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recently approved recreational management changes for red porgy and several other reef fish to be consistent with recent federal changes. Last year, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved management changes to help rebuild the red porgy stock, which is overfished and undergoing overfishing. Consistent regulations between state and federal waters can help improve the red porgy fishery, increase regulatory compliance and aid in enforcement.

Learn more about recreational red porgy regulations by visiting MyFWC.com/Marine and selecting “Red Porgy” under the “Reef Fish” tab, or download the Fish Rules App at Instagram.com/FishRulesApp or Facebook.com/FishRulesApp.