Feds announce three-day red snapper season in Gulf of Mexico

The red snapper season in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico will be an unprecedently short three days, the Marine Fisheries division at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on Tuesday.

The season for private anglers will run from June 1-3. The season for charter boats will open June 1 and run for 49 days.

The historically short season follows last year’s nine-day season in federal waters.

Tuesday’s announcement does not affect the previously announced 78-day season in Florida state waters.

The season in state waters opens on Saturday and runs on Saturdays and Sundays for the next three weeks. Then the season is open daily from the Saturday before Memorial Day through the Sunday following Independence Day. The season reopens on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in September and October, plus Labor Day.

State waters extend nine nautical miles from the shoreline.

This story was originally published May 2, 2017 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Feds announce three-day red snapper season in Gulf of Mexico."