Notices and Rules
Framework Action: Replacement of Historical Captain Permits with Standard Federal Charter/Headboat Permits
This amendment and rule will provide an opportunity for eligible individuals to replace historical captain permits in the reef fish and coastal migratory pelagic fisheries with standard federal for-hire permits. The rule would apply to ind
Effective
05/21/2020
Framework Action: Greater Amberjack Commercial Trip Limits
This framework and rule would reduce the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) greater amberjack commercial trip limit from 1,500 lbs gutted weight (gw) to 1,000 lbs gw with a step-down to 250 lbs gw when 75 percent of the quota has been landed. The need for this action is to extend the Gulf greater amberjack commercial fishing season by constraining the harvest rate while continuing to prevent overfishing and rebuild the stock. The Framework Action was approved by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council at its June 2019 meeting.
Effective
05/14/2020
Modifications to Gulf of Mexico Migratory Group Cobia Size and Possession Limits
This framework action proposes to implement the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s recent recommendation to increase therecreational and commercial minimum size limit for Gulf migratory group cobia from 32 inches to 36 inches in Gulf w
Effective
03/25/2020
Amendment 18: Modifying the Shrimp Effort Threshold
This action would adjust the target reduction goal for juvenile red snapper mortality in the federal Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawl fishery in the 10-30 fathom depth zone, and would modify the Shrimp Fishery Management Plan management measures.
Effective
03/09/2020
Amendment 50A-F: State Management Program for Recreational Red Snapper
NOAA Fisheries, in collaboration with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council), is developing a State Management Program Amendment for Recreational Red Snapper to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of
Effective
02/06/2020
Amendment 13: Modifications to Spiny Lobster Gear Requirements and Cooperative Management Procedures
The final rule for Amendment 13 modifies federal regulations for the harvest of spiny lobster that apply in federal waters off Florida to be compatible with Florida state regulations concerning bully net gear requirements and commercial daily po
Effective
07/26/2019
Amendment 49: Modify Sea Turtle Release Gear and the Reef Fish Framework Procedure
The final rule for Amendment 49 adds three newly approved sea turtle release devices and updates the regulations to simplify and clarify the specifications for other release gear requirements. The new devices and updates provide
Effective
06/17/2019
Emergency Rule to Modify the Gulf of Mexico Red Grouper Annual Catch Limit
This temporary rule would reduce the Gulf red grouper commercial and recreational annual catch limits and associated annual catch targets to provide increased protections to the stock. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council requested commercial and
Effective
05/17/2019
Framework Action: Modification to the Recreational Red Snapper Annual Catch Target Buffers & Modification of Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper and West
The actions in these two framework amendments will be combined during the rule making process, allowing the public to see the resulting ACLs and provide comment. The purpose of the framework actions are to modify the annual catch limits (
Effective
04/04/2019
Framework Action: Modification of Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper and West Florida Hogfish Annual Catch Limits
The purpose of the framework is to modify the annual catch limits (ACLs) for Gulf red snapper and west Florida hogfish based on the most recent stock assessments. The assessments indicated that neither stock was overfished or experiencing overfishing
Effective
04/04/2019