FWC extends red tide catch-and-release for snook, red drum, spotted seatrout

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is extending catch-and-release measures in areas impacted by prolonged red tide. 

Snook, red drum, and spotted seatrout will need to be put back into the water, for an additional year, in all waters from the border of Hernando County and Pasco County, south through Gordon Pass in Collier County. The measure extends to May 31, 2021.

Red tide hit parts of Florida's west coast starting in late 2017 and did not let up until early 2019, devastating snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, and many other species of marine life.

FWC hopes extending the catch-and-release program will help preserve and rebuild their populations. 

For detailed information about catch-and-release regulations, visit myfwc.com/marine and click “Recreational Regulations.”