The Gulf Council took final action on Gulf Reef Fish Amendment 55 and South Atlantic Snapper Grouper Amendment 44. The Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils developed this joint Amendment to modify mutton snapper and yellowtail snapper management measures in response to new stock assessments which indicated that both stocks were healthy as of 2023.
The Gulf Council recommended updating catch limits based on the results of the recent stock assessments and Scientific and Statistical Committee recommendations. The Gulf Council also recommends apportioning 15% of the mutton snapper and 17% of the yellowtail snapper annual catch limits (ACL) to the Gulf. These alternatives are not expected to result in fishery closures. Resulting overfishing limits (OFL), acceptable biological catch (ABC), and ACLs, expressed in pounds whole weight, are as follows:
The Gulf Council supported the South Atlantic Council's preferred alternatives on actions that pertain to sector allocations within their jurisdiction. The Gulf Council will forward its final recommendations to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council for final review and approval before the document is transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce for consideration and implementation as soon as practicable.
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.