The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has announced a program to collect Red Snapper carcasses from recreational fishermen during the 2025 mini-season, which will take place on July 11-12. The collected carcasses will be used for research.
Recreational anglers who donate their Red Snapper carcass and complete the required catch-card (one person per fish) will receive an inverted hook-descending device, courtesy of a donation from South Atlantic Sea Grant. Each participant is limited to one device. Additionally, donors will be entered into a drawing to win one of three SeaQualizer descending devices. To qualify, anglers must fill out the catch-card legibly and honestly at designated donation sites.
To facilitate donations, the division has established temporary collection locations in addition to eight year-round sites. Temporary locations include Bridge Tender Marina in Wilmington, Carolina Beach Municipal Docks in Carolina Beach, Capt. Stacy Fishing Center in Atlantic Beach, Carolina Princess Headboat Dock in Morehead City, and Pelagic Hunter in Sneads Ferry.
Year-round collection sites are located at Cape Pointe Marina on Harkers Island, Frisco Rod & Gun in Frisco, Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, Eastside Bait & Tackle in Washington, N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Wilmington Regional Office in Wilmington, Tex’s Tackle in Wilmington, Clem’s Seafood in Southport, and N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Headquarters in Morehead City.
When donating fish carcasses, anglers should leave the head and tail intact and retain guts or reproductive organs if possible. Those using charter or head boats should inform the fish cleaner that they intend to donate the carcass.
Division biologists will measure donated fish, determine their sex when possible, and remove otoliths (ear bones) for age determination. This data will be shared with the National Marine Fisheries Service for future stock assessments of Red Snapper.
Anglers can also log information about their fishing trips through the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) Release app available on Google Play and Apple App stores or via the SAFMC Release website. Reports on harvested and released fish help improve catch estimates by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The division has recently issued proclamations for the 2025 recreational and commercial Red Snapper seasons in North Carolina following amendments to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Fishery Management Plan for Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region. Red Snapper is a federally-managed species.
The recreational season opens at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 11 and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, July 12 with no size limits but restricted to one fish per person per day. For-hire vessel captains and crew may retain this limit as well. Detailed regulations can be found under Proclamation FF-24-2025.
The commercial season starts on July 14 with a trip limit set at 75 pounds gutted weight until January 1st or when quotas are met as per Proclamation FF-23-25 guidelines.
Commercially caught Red Snapper data will be collected at fish houses; these carcasses should not be placed in Carcass Collection Program freezers.
Existing gear regulations remain effective across commercial and recreational snapper-grouper fishing sectors requiring onboard descending devices ready for use while fishing or possessing snapper-grouper species along with non-offset circle hooks when using hook-and-line gear with natural baits.
Further details about NOAA Fisheries’ announcement regarding Red Snapper season are available online alongside best practices including how-to videos for rigging descending devices.
For more information about North Carolina’s Carcass Collection program contact Amanda Macek at amanda.macek@deq.nc.gov or call 252-515-5537.
