Editing Common snook (section)

== Protection in Florida Gulf Coast ==
"At the June 2012 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) meeting, Commissioners voted to keep the recreational harvest of snook in Gulf of Mexico waters closed through Aug. 31, 2013. This closure will offer the species additional protection after a 2010 cold kill detrimentally affected the population. Snook closed to harvest in Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic waters in January 2010 after a severe cold kill affected snook population number."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/snook/ |title=Snook |website=Myfwc.com |access-date=2016-06-24}}</ref>

All snook were "catch-and-release only" in the Gulf of Mexico until August 31, 2013. At that time, the FWC could choose to open or close snook harvest for another season. The commercial harvest or sale of snook is prohibited by the same regulations.

At the June 2013 FWC meeting, commissioners voted to let the recreational harvest of snook reopen in Gulf of Mexico waters from September 1 that year. The next stock assessment for snook was scheduled for 2015, but had not yet occurred as of June 2016, effectively leaving the fish under a protected status.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://myfwc.com/news/news-releases/2013/june/12/snook-season/ |title=FWC News: Gulf recreational snook harvest to reopen Sept. 1 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128070015/http://myfwc.com/news/news-releases/2013/june/12/snook-season |archive-date=November 28, 2013 }}</ref>