Press Releases

Congressman Fry Leads Push for State-Led Management of South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper Fishery

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07) led a letter from Republican members of the South Carolina delegation to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, urging the Department of Commerce to adopt a new state-led framework for managing the snapper-grouper fishery in the South Atlantic. The letter calls for putting a stop to heavy-handed federal restrictions and letting states like South Carolina take the lead in managing and tracking their own fisheries.

Earlier this month, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed a similar bill giving more control of the red snapper industry to the state.

The South Carolina lawmakers expressed strong concerns over the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) reliance on flawed Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) data, which has driven severe restrictions, including extremely short recreational red snapper seasons and expansive bottomfishing closures.

South Carolina’s recreational fishing and boating economy generates over $6.5 billion annually and supports more than 27,000 jobs. Local anglers and business owners—from Murrells Inlet to Hilton Head—depend on fair and effective fisheries management to sustain their way of life.

In their letter, the lawmakers urged the Department of Commerce to:

1. Pause implementation of Amendment 59 and similar federal closures

2. Support a cooperative, state-led fisheries management approach modeled after the successful Gulf red snapper program

3. Empower states to collect better data and deliver more balanced, accountable management

“For too long, federal mismanagement has hurt our coastal communities and undermined trust in the system,” said Congressman Fry. “South Carolina anglers deserve better than critical decisions based on bad data. It’s time to follow the successful model we’ve seen in the Gulf of America and let states lead the way, just like we did under the first Trump administration in the Gulf.”

This letter was signed by South Carolina Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, as well as South Carolina Representatives Sherri Biggs, Nancy Mace, Ralph Norman, William Timmons, and Joe Wilson.

Read the full letter here.

Congressman Fry serves on both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. To stay up to date with Congressman Fry and his work for the Seventh District, follow his official Facebook, Instagram, and X pages and visit his website at fry.house.gov.