The Gulf Council will hold a three-day Council meeting at The Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore in Tampa, Florida from June 1-3, 2026.
Public comment will be held on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, from 8:45 AM – 12:00 PM EDT. The Council welcomes public comment from both in-person and virtual participants. Instructions on how to join the meeting and provide comment are located on the meetings materials webpage.
During this meeting, the Council plans to take final action on Reef Fish Amendment 63: Red Grouper Commercial Quota Pool. This amendment considers a three-year pilot program that would set aside a portion of the red grouper commercial quota for distribution to participants of the Grouper/Tilefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. Beginning in 2027, the quota pool would be established using a percentage of the quota increase that is expected to be distributed when Reef Fish Amendment 62 is implemented. The goal of the quota pool is to enhance economic profitability and reduce discards by improving access to red grouper annual allocation.
The Council also plans to hear an update on the work of the Shrimp Bycatch Methodology Working Group, discuss a workplan for addressing shrimp trawl interactions with protected resources and begin work on a document to revise status determination criteria for penaeid shrimp. The Council will also continue to work on modifying the Gulf For-hire Data Collection Program and explore the feasibility of using a permit to identify the recreational anglers targeting deep-water grouper. The Council plans to continue working on mutton and yellowtail snapper management measures, red snapper private recreational post-season accountability measures, permit requirements for participation in commercial IFQ programs, and regional management of recreational greater amberjack.
Register for the webinar here.
Full Committee and Council Agendas and meeting materials will be posted as they become available.
About The Gulf Council: The Gulf Council is one of eight regional Fishery Management Councils established by the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Council prepares fishery management plans, which are designed to manage fishery resources within the 200-mile limit of the Gulf of America.