By Larry Felton Johnson

The two GOP U.S. legislators whose districts include parts of Cobb County, 11th District Rep. Barry Loudermilk and 14th District Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, have signed a letter from seven of Georgia’s GOP U.S. representatives to remove the regulation of red snapper from federal authorities and shift the responsibility to the states.

The letter was sent to U.S. Commerce Secretary Henry Lutnick, and signed by Earl “Buddy” Carter (GA‑1), Brian Jack (GA‑3), Austin Scott (GA‑8), Mike Collins (GA‑10), Barry Loudermilk (GA‑11), Rick Allen (GA‑12), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA‑14). (To read the entire letter follow this link).

Red snapper conservation is currently managed by eight Regional Fishery Management Councils formed under the terms of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

The letter, signed by seven of the nine GOP members of Georgia’s U.S. congressional legislative delegation, states in part:

We, the undersigned members of the Georgia congressional delegation, write to express our strong
support for the request to correct course on red snapper fisheries management and for an Exempted
Fishing Permit (EFP) to allow for state management of red snapper and other species of reef fish in the
South Atlantic as outlined in a joint letter dated June 4, 2025 from Governors Brian Kemp, Ron
DeSantis and Henry McMaster.

We are thankful to you and President Trump for your willingness to empower states to assume
management of their own natural resources, including red snapper, in the South Atlantic and around the nation. Georgia’s recreational fishing industry has long struggled under federal fisheries data that limit access and impose heavy-handed restrictions, often set by bureaucrats far removed from our coastal communities. State management, as proposed, would empower Georgia to tailor conservation and fishing policies to local needs, mirroring the successful Gulf of America model where state oversight allows for 127 fishing days compared to the Atlantic’s single day under federal rules.

The bill in question, H.R. 3094 (submitted in 2015, not to be confused with another bill labeled 3094 during the current session), was named by its sponsors the ‘Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority Act’.

It is opposed by a number of organizations, including the Marine Fish Conservation Network, the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance, and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations.

“The red snapper fishery is successfully rebuilding because of the conservation and science mandates of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. H.R. 3094 would put at risk the full recovery of Gulf red snapper and the livelihoods of fishermen and small-businesses across the Gulf region and the country,” wrote Rob Vandermark, the executive director of the Marine Fish Conservation Network. “Instead of rolling back 40 years of federal fishery management progress, we strongly recommend Congress focus on fixing and improving recreational red snapper management under the MSA.”

“H.R. 3094 is the latest attempt to disrupt a fisheries management process that puts science and stakeholders first,” said Tim Sloane, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations. “We should be striving to improve the solid procedural foundation established by the Magnuson-Stevens Act, rather than undermining it with piecemeal exemptions.”

Supporters of the Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority Act include the wildlife or marine resources departments of Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas. Stakeholders from the charter boating and restaurant industries spoke in favor of the bill in past hearings.