BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Federal authorities have set the red snapper season for charter boats in the Gulf of Mexico, giving them from June 1 through July 21 to catch the popular sport and table fish.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the total recreational quota is about 6.7 million pounds (3 million kilograms), with a 2.3-million-pound (1 million kilograms) target for charter boats.
A news release Wednesday said people on federally permitted for-hire vessels cannot fish for or possess red snapper in federal or state waters when the federal season is closed, even if the captain is just taking his family fishing.
Under a two-year experiment, states are setting opening dates for recreational anglers and must close those seasons when their quotas are met.
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The charter boat season ends at 12:01 a.m. July 22.