Photo courtesy of Miss Judy Charters, Savannah, Ga.
Economics Of Atlantic Snapper Season
The American Sportfishing Association’s (ASA) released a report recently examining the huge economic benefits of the short 2018 recreational red snapper season in the South Atlantic. ASA claims enthusiastic anglers spent $23.6 million during the limited opening.
The report, conducted by Southwick Associates, examined the season’s financial contributions in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, and measured five types of economic activity including jobs, salaries and wages, GDP, total output and tax revenue.
The report showed the success of the six-day August 2018 red snapper season for the South Atlantic coast in generating:
• 185 jobs
• $9.1 million in salaries and wages
• $13.6 million in GDP
• $18.9 million in economic output
• $4.1 million in federal, state and local tax revenue
The study used participation and spending data provided by both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the states. Economic contribution estimates used NOAA-based economic models.
NOAA Fisheries has already announced the limited opening of commercial and recreational red snapper seasons for 2019 in South Atlantic federal waters. The 2019 recreational season will be open for five days, beginning Friday, July 12, and closing Sunday, July 14, 2019. Waters will again open on Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20, 2019.