Key Messages:
- NOAA Fisheries announces changes to management of scamp and yellowmouth grouper in the South Atlantic Region through a final rule for Amendment 55 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region.
- Amendment 55 responds to a Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) stock assessment, which determined scamp and yellowmouth grouper to be overfished, but not undergoing overfishing.
- Amendment 55 and its final rule will:
- Remove yellowmouth grouper from the other South Atlantic shallow water grouper complex and establish a new scamp and yellowmouth grouper complex.
- Establish status determination criteria, a rebuilding plan, catch levels, sector allocations, sector management measures, and accountability measures for the new complex.
Establish catch levels for the revised other South Atlantic shallow water grouper complex.
When Rule Will Take Effect:
Regulations will be effective July 6, 2026.
What This Means:
Amendment 55 and the Final Rule will:
- Reorganize the other South Atlantic shallow water grouper complex by removing yellowmouth grouper from it, and establish a new complex containing both scamp and yellowmouth grouper. Rock hind, red hind, coney, graysby, and yellowfin grouper will remain in the other South Atlantic shallow water grouper complex.
For the new scamp and yellowmouth grouper complex
- Establish an acceptable biological catch equal to the total annual catch limit:
- 67,450 pounds (lb) whole weight (ww), for the 2025 fishing year;
- 72,200 lb ww, for the 2026 fishing year;
- 75,050 lb ww, for the 2027 fishing year;
- 77,900 lb ww, for the 2028 fishing year; and
- 79,800 lb ww, for 2029 and subsequent fishing years.
- Change commercial and recreational allocation percentages each year from 2025 through 2029 and then maintain the allocation at the 2029 level.
- Commercial allocation percentages will range from 64.90% - 62.59%.
- Recreational allocation percentages will range from 35.10% - 37.41%.
- Establish commercial annual catch limits:
- 43,772 lb ww, for the 2025 fishing year;
- 46,147 lb ww, for the 2026 fishing year;
- 47,572 lb ww, for the 2027 fishing year;
- 48,997 lb ww, for the 2028 fishing year; and
- 49,947 lb ww, for the 2029 and subsequent fishing years.
- Establish recreational annual catch limits:
- 23,678 lb ww, for the 2025 fishing year;
- 26,053 lb ww for the 2026 fishing year;
- 27,478 lb ww for the 2027 fishing year;
- 28,903 lb ww for the 2028 fishing year; and
- 29,853 lb ww, for the 2029 and subsequent fishing years.
- Establish an aggregate commercial trip limit for scamp and yellowmouth grouper of 300 lb gutted weight.
- Establish an aggregate complex bag limit of one fish (either scamp or yellowmouth grouper combined) per person per day within the overall three fish grouper and tilefish combined aggregate.
- Establish commercial accountability measures:
- In-season: Commercial closure for the remainder of the fishing year if commercial landings for scamp and yellowmouth grouper, combined, reach or are projected to reach the commercial annual catch limit of the complex.
- Post-season: If commercial landings for scamp and yellowmouth grouper, combined, exceed the complex commercial annual catch limit, regardless of stock status or whether the total annual catch limit was exceeded, the commercial annual catch limit of the complex for the following fishing year will be reduced by the amount of the commercial annual catch limit overage in the prior fishing year.
- Establish recreational accountability measures:
- Post-season: If recreational landings for scamp and yellowmouth grouper, combined, exceed the complex recreational annual catch limit, the length of the following year’s recreational fishing season for the complex will be reduced by the amount necessary to prevent the recreational annual catch limit for the complex from being exceeded in the following year, regardless of stock status.
- Establish the status determination criteria for the new complex based on the stock assessment.
- Establish a 10-year rebuilding plan beginning in 2025.
For the species that remain in the other South Atlantic shallow water grouper complex
- Establish a total annual catch limit of 100,151 lb ww.
- Establish a commercial annual catch limit of 53,380 lb ww.
- Establish a recreational annual catch limit of 46,771 lb ww.
Formal Federal Register Name/Number: 91 FR 33661, published June 4, 2026.
Amendment 55 and its rulemaking can be found here: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/amendment-55-establish-new-scamp-and-yellowmouth-grouper-complex-rebuilding-plan-catch.
This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.
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Permits Mailbox: The Permits Office in St. Petersburg, Florida, now has a Permits mailbox in the front lobby (263 13th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701). You can now drop off original permits for permit transfers. Envelopes with information labels will be provided so that your documents can be attached to the correct application. The mailbox will be checked daily. For more information, contact the Permits Office at 877-376-4877.
Contacts:
Quick Glance Contact List for the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office
Media Contact: Allison Garrett, 727-551-5750
Recreational Fishing Coordinator: Sean Meehan, 727-385-5202
Communications Specialist: Lauren Westcott 727-249-5881
