The Gulf Council will meet at The Golden Nugget in Biloxi, Mississippi from August 24-27, 2026. Public comment will be held on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, from 2:00 – 5:00 PM CDT. 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 meeting materials webpage.
During this meeting, the Council plans to take final action on an Amendment to establish electronic reporting requirements for vessels with federal for-hire reef fish or coastal migratory pelagic permits.
The Council also plans to work on several other issues including two draft amendments that consider modifying for-hire red snapper management. One considers delegating federal for-hire red snapper management to the Gulf States, while the other document considers maintaining federal management and developing additional flexibility measures and triggers for the Regional Administrator to utilize. The Council will work on a draft amendment to modify mutton snapper and yellowtail snapper catch limits and the allowable harvest apportioned between the Gulf and South Atlantic Councils. Additionally, NOAA staff will present the results of the MRIP-FES pilot study conducted to determine whether changes to survey design would improve recreational fishing effort estimates.
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.