Amendment 43 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region.

Amendment 43 would revise the process to determine the annual catch limits for red snapper. The most recent stock assessment (SEDAR 41, 2015) indicated the red snapper stock as overfished and undergoing overfishing during 1994-2014. In 2016, a revised SEDAR 41 assessment supported the same stock status, but changed the estimates of sustainable harvest. In 2015 and 2016, scientific surveys indicated that the red snapper stock increased by 1.88 times
since 2014 and is at the highest point since 1991. No negative effects are expected to endangered species or their critical habitat, because if implemented, Amendment 43 would allow for a very limited fishing season for both the recreational and commercial sectors.

Implementation date of July 2018 for Amendment 43 would be favorable.