Louisiana will temporarily expand the number of red snapper recreational anglers can take home for the Fourth of July holiday. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will allow those fishing in state coastal waters for red snapper to take home five fish per person per day, increased from the typical four-fish limit, Thursday through Sunday.

Background

LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth said the temporary increase is meant to encourage people to get outside and enjoy the celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary. Size restrictions for red snapper remain in place through the holiday, with any keepers needing to be at least 16 inches in length.

Louisiana and other states, along with federal management groups such as the Gulf Fisheries Council, place catch restrictions on certain fish species. Red snapper, an extremely popular fish for recreational anglers, was once severely overfished. In the 1990s, its Gulf of Mexico population was down to just 2% of what’s considered a healthy total, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Strict management, such as limits on the amount and size people can keep, has brought the species back to the point that it isn’t considered overfished in U.S. waters. Red snapper season starts in Louisiana waters on May 1 and lasts until fishermen, who must report their catch, reach a total annual weight of fish caught.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.