Columbia, South Carolina – South Carolina’s top legal officer is backing coastal states in a court fight over who is best positioned to manage red snapper fishing, protect marine resources, and support the communities that depend on them.
Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a multistate friend-of-the-court brief filed in the Washington, D.C. District Court, supporting research and fishery management efforts by several South Atlantic states.
The brief defends special experimental fishing permits approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service for Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
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Those permits lengthen recreational red snapper seasons while allowing states to gather better information about fish populations and fishing activity. Florida’s red snapper season is set to open May 22, 2026, while the season in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina begins July 1, 2026.
The legal challenge comes from plaintiffs who argue the permits could increase overfishing and reduce the share available to commercial fishing interests. But the states say the permits do the opposite: they create a more reliable path to understanding the red snapper fishery and managing it responsibly.
“South Carolina knows its waters, its fishermen, and its economy better than any federal agency,” Attorney General Wilson said.
“The management of the South Atlantic red snapper and other reef fisheries should be handled by those who are best equipped to ensure sustainable conservation.”
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At the center of the dispute is data. The states argue that the current federal system, the Marine Recreational Information Program, does not provide the kind of precise, region-specific information needed for South Atlantic red snapper management.
According to the states, the program applies a broad approach across very different fisheries, treating places and species with different conditions under the same basic model.
The states say the experimental permits offer a better solution. By allowing longer seasons under controlled conditions, they argue, the permits help generate more accurate information while still including safeguards against overfishing.
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For South Carolina, the case is not only about one fish species. It is also about local knowledge, coastal livelihoods, wildlife conservation, and the ability of states to manage natural resources close to home.
Wilson joined the attorneys general of Florida and Georgia in the brief, standing with coastal states that say sustainable conservation works best when decisions are shaped by those who know the waters firsthand.
