Stop removal of Gulf red grouper fishing closure
Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of America; Amendment 62
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration· Gulf of AmericaFederal Register 2026-13682 ↗
A seasonal closure protecting red grouper during winter months would be permanently eliminated.
What’s at risk
Red grouper populations in the Gulf of America lose a key two-month winter protection if the February-March shallow-water grouper closure is removed. Increased fishing pressure during this period could stress fish stocks beyond what revised catch limits can offset.
If this goes through
The February-March seasonal closure for shallow-water grouper in Gulf federal waters will be permanently gone, removing a recurring conservation buffer with no guarantee of replacement.
Our plain-English read of the official notice ↗. Check it against the agency’s own words below.
4 holes in the agency’s own analysis
What the public could have raised, from the agency’s own document
- I oppose this action as proposed, and I ask the agency to weigh the specific harms below.
- Do not remove the February through March seasonal closure for shallow-water grouper recreational fishing in Gulf federal waters beyond the 20-fathom line, as this closure exists to protect fish populations during a critical period.
- Revising catch limits and sector allocations for red grouper in the Gulf of America should not outpace what the best available science can confidently support for long-term stock health.
- I oppose eliminating the shallow-water grouper seasonal closure because removing this two-month protection could harm reef fish populations that commercial fishers, recreational anglers, and charter operators all depend on.
- Any reallocation of red grouper between commercial and recreational sectors must be transparent and fair to all Gulf of America stakeholders, including charter boat operators who rely on stable access to this fishery.
Show all 6 points from the document
- Say something only you can say. The law requires the agency to consider and respond to substantive comments, and specifics are what make a comment substantive.
In the agency’s own words
NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in Amendment 62 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf (FMP) (Amendment 62), as prepared and submitted by the Gulf Council (Council). This proposed rule and Amendment 62 would revise the catch limits and sector allocations for Gulf of America (Gulf) red grouper, based on the best scientific information available. Additionally, this proposed rule would remove the shallow-water grouper (SWG) recreational seasonal closure, from February 1 through March 31, in Gulf Federal waters seaward of the 20-fathom boundary.
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