AUSTIN- The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Coastal Fisheries Division is holding three meetings on the coast to seek public input on possible dates for 2019 private recreational red snapper season in federal waters.

Under an agreement between TPWD and the National Marine Fisheries Service that was signed in April 2018, TPWD can establish the opening and closing of the red snapper fishery in federal waters off the Texas coast for private recreational anglers fishing from their own vessels in 2019. The federally permitted for-hire sector, which allows recreational anglers to fish from charter boats or headboats, will remain in its current management structure set by the federal government under the agreement for 2019.

There will be multiple options presented for the 2019 federal red snapper season that combine fishing days in the spring and summer. Options include a traditional continuous summer season, seasons with different summer start dates and seasons that split fishing days between the spring and summer. TPWD Coastal Fisheries staff will also present via a Facebook live webinar on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Facebook page on Friday, Dec. 14 at noon for those who cannot attend a meeting in person.

The public will be able to make official comments online through the TPWD website comment portal from Dec. 11, 2018 to Jan. 4, 2019.