Send it overboard': Federal judge just halted the longest red snapper season in years | Fortune

The prospect of the longest red snapper season in years collided with a court order, halting the multi-state expansion. NOAA had proposed an Atlantic season across four states lasting 39 to 62 days with a daily catch limit of one fish. The plan followed a push by Florida and partner states to assume more control over recreational snapper management. In May, NOAA issued special permits exempting those states from certain requirements under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. But just before season open on May 22, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras granted an injunction citing environmental concerns. Kemp, who had booked a charter to coincide with the opening, learned of the ruling by text while en route to the marina, describing the moment as severe and surprising. Backlash followed quickly, with Florida wildlife officials denouncing the injunction as the work of a rogue federal judge and fishermen lamenting lost opportunity. Some fishermen involved in the suit reported threats after DeSantis publicly weighed in on the dispute and lawmakers pressed for action. The case underscores enduring tensions among recreational access, commercial interests and environmental safeguards amid debates over federal versus state oversight and coastal management.