Florida Fishery Seeks Permit to Nab Snappers for Puerto Rico Breeding
Published Date: 4/21/2026
Notice
Summary
Cultimar Technologies wants permission to catch 200 adult red snappers off Florida’s coast to start a special breeding program in Puerto Rico. This project will help scientists learn more about these fish and how to farm them better, which could boost the fishing industry. People have until May 21, 2026, to share their thoughts before a final decision is made.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Permit to Collect 200 Red Snapper
Cultimar applied for a permit to collect 200 adult American red snapper from Federal waters off the east coast of Florida and move them by boat to a hatchery in Arecibo, Puerto Rico for broodstock and research. The applicant expects to collect these fish between May 2026 and March 2027 (preferably November 2026) in 1–2 trips, with fish weighing about 5 to 15 lb (2.3 to 6.8 kg) each.
Research Could Supply Aquaculture Seed Stock
The project is intended to create genetically diverse broodstock and develop scalable fingerling production methods so future domestic grow-out operations can get seed stock and reduce dependency on imported seafood. The original wild adults collected under the EFP would remain at the research facility for life, but juveniles produced from the research may later be distributed or sold to other aquaculture facilities.
Requested Exemptions to Fishing Limits
The applicant requested exemptions that would let its contracted research vessel harvest and possess red snapper in excess of recreational bag limits, collect during area and seasonal closures, exceed the 75 lb (34 kg) commercial trip limit (gutted weight), and exceed annual catch limits/accountability measures. If granted, those exemptions would apply to the single collection project described in the EFP application.
Possible Conditions: ESA Protections and Reporting
If NMFS grants the EFP, it may impose conditions such as special protections for Endangered Species Act-listed species and specific reporting requirements related to the collection and transport of red snapper. A final EFP decision will follow public comments (due May 21, 2026) and consultations with fishery agencies and the U.S. Coast Guard.
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