PENSACOLA — State wildlife regulators extended Thursday a ban on snook fishing along the state’s Gulf coast for another year, hoping that will give the species enough time to rebound from last winter’s cold snap that killed thousands of the fish.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted 7-0 to extend the ban on Gulf coast snook fishing until next Sept. 1. On the Atlantic coast, commissioners voted to end the emergency closure this Sept. 17 and allow snook to be caught through Dec. 15. But commissioners voted to forgo the spring Atlantic snook season because that’s when the fish spawn.

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