Georgia seeks comment on Reef/Migratory Fish Endorsement starting 2027

Georgia’s Coastal Resources Division is taking public comment on a recreational Reef/Migratory Fish Endorsement. A Sept. 23, 2026 notice from Brunswick proposes amendments to Rules 391-2-4-.16 and 391-2-4-.17. The endorsement comes out of Senate Bill 420, which Gov. Brian Kemp signed on May 11, 2026.

The division says existing federal-state surveys estimate many inshore fisheries well enough, but they are less precise for reef and migratory species that anglers mostly chase in federal waters. The endorsement is meant to identify who fishes those species and to build a framework for trip-level reporting.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, the annual endorsement would cost $10 for Georgia residents and $20 for nonresidents. Lifetime sportsman license holders, honorary and discounted license holders, and paralyzed or disabled license holders would not pay that fee. They would still have to obtain the endorsement and a Saltwater Information Program permit every year.

A licensed recreational angler would need the endorsement to land any of nine species in Georgia, regardless of where the fish was caught: amberjack, black sea bass, cobia, dolphin (mahi-mahi), gag grouper, king mackerel, red porgy, red snapper, and Spanish mackerel. CRD plans to make electronic reporting mandatory in 2028. After that, anglers would file through a DNR app within 24 hours of finishing a trip, along the same lines as a deer or turkey harvest report. The amendments would also reset guide and pier logs: licensed saltwater guides would submit weekly by the following Tuesday, and pier operators monthly by the 10th of the next month.

Written comments run through Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. Mailed comments must be postmarked that day, and email must arrive by 4:30 p.m. Send them to Julie Califf, Coastal Resources Division, One Conservation Way, Brunswick, GA 31520, or julie.califf@dnr.ga.gov. The Board of Natural Resources is scheduled to consider the amendments and the comments on Dec. 1, 2026, at Lake Blackshear Resort in Cordele.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: EIN Presswire — DNR seeks public comment on proposed reef, migratory fish endorsement rules (News Provided By Georgia Coastal Resources Division, Sept. 23, 2026).