David Moss | The Nature Conservancy | Ep. 1027

Red snapper season in the South Atlantic got shut down the night before it opened — and most anglers still don't really know why. In this one, I sit down with David Moss, Fisheries Project Manager for The Nature Conservancy, to break the whole thing down in plain English: what an EFP actually is, the lawsuit that closed the season, why managers and anglers see two completely different oceans, and the surprising reason keeping your spots secret might be the very thing costing you fishing days.

David's a Florida-born fisherman first and a fisheries guy second, and he makes the case for why the catch data you throw away — including the days you get skunked — is exactly what the fishery needs to open more seasons, not fewer.

We get into:

Why red snapper are stacked up in the Atlantic but you can't keep one

How "rare event species" like tilefish and snowy grouper get shortchanged by old data

The truth about whether your secret numbers are actually safe in reporting apps

Gulf vs. Atlantic red snapper — two fisheries, same fish

The Goliath grouper problem everyone sees but no one can prove

How to actually get involved if you're fed up

Get in touch or get involved:

David Moss — david.moss@tnc.org

The Nature Conservancy Florida fishing: nature.org/floridafishing