(The Center Square) – During a news conference over the state’s red snapper harvest on Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis dealt with a heckler who was ejected from the proceedings.
While the heckler’s comments couldn’t be understood on the audio, the second-term GOP governor said “that’s a fraud” and that the heckler should be ashamed of “peddling bogus narratives.”
The heckler was later removed from the event.
DeSantis announced that Florida’s Gulf of America red snapper season of 126 days will be the longest since the state started managing the fishery. He said the season will open on Memorial Day weekend May 24-26, pause for a few days and reopen on June 1 running through July 31.
The season will resume on Sept. 1-14 and also have open times for Veteran’s Day weekend, three days at Thanksgiving and at Christmas.
Last year’s season was 104 days.
“We know that folks from all over the Northwest Florida love to do the red snapper. We also know that the local economy loves it as well,” DeSantis said. “Given recreational fishing for golf red snapper has been a tradition here, going back to the 1840s and probably even before then.
“So we can enjoy this historic season thanks to the great work of FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission) and the state Reef Fish Survey, which gathers data directly from anglers and helps us better manage the health and stock of the species, while today’s announcement is welcome for our Gulf communities, we have more work to do in the Atlantic.”
Under federal management, the season is only two days for Atlantic red snapper after last year’s “season” lasted only a single day.
DeSantis said he is in discussions with President Donald Trump’s administration to get the Sunshine State to manage that fishery as well sometime this year, something that is also sought by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp for the Peach State’s coastal waters as well.
“We will do a good job,” DeSantis said. “We will have accurate data, and we will be able to expand a lot of opportunities for a lot of people to be able to do this. And this is really keeping with, I think, the president’s vision to empower the states and make sure the federal government isn’t overstepping its bounds. So we stand ready, willing and able to get that job done.”
DeSantis also urged lawmakers, working on the state budget as the legislative session is set to end on Friday, to renew sales tax holidays for summer that includes fishing and other recreational supplies, even concert tickets.
