Red Snapper Fishing Ban Lifted Over Weekend
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is temporarily lifting its recreational red snapper fishing ban, allowing Georgia anglers to cast for the crimson fish. 
Red Snapper Fishing Ban Temporarily Lifted
The lift begins Friday and lasts until midnight Sunday.
In addition to Georgia, the temporary lift covers the Carolinas and Florida.
The region is currently under a population rebuilding plan.
Holly Binns of the PEW Environment Group said the moratorium is being lifted because fewer snapper are being killed accidentally by fishermen targeting other fish.
“Basically a number of fish are available to be caught in the rebuilding plan while keeping it on track, keeping the population headed toward recovery,” Binns said.
Binns said the council lifted the fishing closure over two consecutive weekends last year. She says the shorter season is because fishers exceeded a catch limit set in the rebuilding plan.
An indefinite fisheries closure was put in place in 2010 to prevent overfishing of the depleted red snapper population. That ban was lifted last year.
Binns said the red snapper population is scheduled to be re-evaluated in 2014.
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