05/26/2026
PERMITS PULLED — THOUSANDS STRANDED
You may have heard about the last-minute court ruling that blocked recreational red snapper fishing in federal Atlantic waters just before Memorial Day weekend. Thousands of recreational fishermen had traveled to Florida, many with their families to enjoy their holiday in the Sunshine State, and had their boats at the ramps when the ruling was issued just hours before the recreational season was scheduled to open, leaving them holding the bag. We want to be clear: Lighthouse Seafood was not among the industry interests who opposed those permits — and we won't be. The permits were a pilot program that NOAA wanted to test to understand how it might affect the red snapper population. That's how science works. Test it, see what happens, adjust.
We buy all of our red snapper from local fishermen holding valid commercial licenses, and commercial fishermen were among those who brought the suit. But as owner Tim O'Leary puts it: "NOAA approved those recreational permits for good reason. More people out on the water catching fish, more families cooking and eating fresh seafood — that's good for the fishing industry AND good for the public. I'm fully behind those permits."
If you were disappointed by not being able to catch your own red snapper, come in and buy some fresh, legally harvested fillets from us. Meantime, we hope the courts will see clear to let NOAA do its job managing the Atlantic red snapper population.
