The Southeast Fisheries Science Center has provided the following preliminary landings estimates for species in the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s area of jurisdiction subject to annual catch limits (ACLs).
Definitions: Annual Catch Limit (ACL) is the amount of fish that can be harvested from the stock each year. The Annual Catch Target (ACT) is a harvest level set lower than the annual catch limit to create a buffer to reduce the risk of overharvest. Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP).
Units: As Reported: Cobia, King Mackerel; Gutted Weight (gw): Gag, Red grouper; Whole Weight (ww): Gray triggerfish, Red Snapper, Greater Amberjack
Updated 10/14/2020
MRIP landings are available for January 1 through February 29 of 2020. Headboat landings are available through June 30, 2020. LA creel landings are available through September 13, 2020. No Texas landings are available for 2020 at this time.
| Species Complex | Fixed Closed Months | Jan-Feb | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | Jul-Aug | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec | Total Reported Landings | ACT | ACL | %ACT | %ACL | Dataset | Quota Closure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cobia east Florida | - | 1,626 | 1,607 | 1,933 | 5,166 | 710,000 | 860,000 | 1% | 1% | MRIP-CHTS | ||||
| Gag(a) | Jan 1- May 31 | 0 | 50 | 7,782 | 107 | 165 | 8,104 | 1,708,000 | 1,903,000 | 0% | 0% | MRIP-CHTS | ||
| Gray triggerfish | Jan 1- Feb 28 & Jun 1 - July 31 | 78 | 5,220 | 105 | 44 | 482 | 5,928 | 217,100 | 241,200 | 3% | 2% | MRIP-CHTS | 5/2/2020 FB20-010 | |
| Greater Amberjack | SEE TABLE BELOW | |||||||||||||
| Red grouper(b) | - | 15,817 | 2,031 | 5,809 | 23,657 | 920,000 | 1,000,000 | 3% | 2% | MRIP-CHTS | ||||
| Red snapper For Hire | Jan 1 - May 31 (c) | 23,805 | 9,960 | 320,054 | 353,819 | 2,848,000 | 3,130,000 | 12% | 11% | MRIP-CHTS | ||||
| Red snapper Private | see (c) below | (c) | 0 | 3,415,200 | 4,269,000 | 0% | 0% | MRIP-CHTS | ||||||
| Goliath Grouper | Closed to Harvest | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 0 | 0 | x | x | MRFSS | n/a |
| Nassau Grouper | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 0 | 0 | x | x | MRFSS | n/a | |
a. Greater amberjack and gag landings exclude Monroe County, Florida.
b. This closure occurs Feb 1 - Mar 31 for all shallow water grouper (red grouper, black grouper, yellowmouth grouper, scamp, and yellowfin grouper) in the portion of the Gulf EEZ seaward of coordinates defined in the Federal regulations at paragraph (d) of § 622.34, Seasonal and area closures designed to protect Gulf reef fish. These coordinates approximate the 20-fathom depth contour.
c. Reef Fish Amendment 50, effective February 6, 2020, gives limited authority to each individual Gulf state to manage red snapper recreational private angling in state and federal waters off each state. Each state will set the fishing season, specify a bag limit, and specify a minimum size limit (between 14 and 18 in TL). Each state has the option to establish a maximum size limit. Florida, Alabama, and Texas may request closures of areas of federal waters adjacent to state waters. The red snapper private angling quota is allocated among the Gulf states.
Updated 9/10/2020
MRIP, LA Creel, and Headboat landings are available from January 1 through December 31, 2019. Texas landings are available through November 20, 2019.
| Species Complex | Fixed Closed Months | Jan-Feb | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | Jul-Aug | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec | Total Reported Landings | ACT | ACL | %ACT | %ACL | Dataset | Quota Closure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cobia east Florida | Jan 1- May 30 | 29,706 | 12,986 | 21,393 | 116,757 | 667 | 9,472 | 190,981 | 710,000 | 860,000 | 27% | 22% | MRIP-CHTS | |
| Gag(a) | - | 55 | 30 | 326,665 | 143,993 | 30,709 | 358,376 | 859,828 | 1,708,000 | 1,903,000 | 50% | 45% | MRIP-CHTS | |
| Gray triggerfish | Jan 1- Feb 28 & Jun 1 - July 31 | 10 | 274,952 | 30,449 | 276 | 4,019 | 1,162 | 310,868 | 217,100 | 241,200 | 143% | 129% | MRIP-CHTS | 5/11/19 FB19-016 |
| Greater Amberjack | SEE TABLE BELOW | |||||||||||||
| Red grouper(b) | - | 121,853 | 160,964 | 216,916 | 157,450 | 25,006 | 82,796 | 764,985 | 920,000 | 1,000,000 | 83% | 76% | MRIP-CHTS | |
| Red snapper For Hire | Jan 1 - May 31 (c) | 29,719 | 18,341 | 1,200,879 | 1,308,771 | 0 | 1,024 | 2,558,734 | 2,848,300 | 3,130,000 | 90% | 82% | MRIP-CHTS | |
| Red snapper Private | see (c) below | See Exempted Fishing Permit | 0 | 3,415,200 | 4,269,000 | 0% | 0% | MRIP-CHTS | ||||||
| Goliath Grouper | Closed to Harvest | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 0 | 0 | x | x | MRFSS | n/a |
| Nassau Grouper | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 0 | 0 | x | x | MRFSS | n/a | |
a. Greater amberjack and gag landings exclude Monroe County, Florida.
b. This closure occurs Feb 1 - Mar 31 for all shallow water grouper (red grouper, black grouper, yellowmouth grouper, scamp, and yellowfin grouper) in the portion of the Gulf EEZ seaward of coordinates defined in the Federal regulations at paragraph (d) of § 622.34, Seasonal and area closures designed to protect Gulf reef fish. These coordinates approximate the 20-fathom depth contour.
c. Total red snapper recreational ACL was 7,399,000. Please see fishery bulletin FB18-026. The recreational red snapper fishery was under state management through exempted fishing permits in 2018 and 2019. For landings click here.
As of April 30, 2018 the recreational Greater Amberjack fishing year was modified to be August 1 through July 31 and the fixed closed season was modified to be November 1 through April 30 and June 1 through July 31. As such, the 2018 quota is distributed across the 2017-2018 fishing year, the 2019 quota is distributed across the 2018-2019 fishing year, and the 2020 and beyond quota will be distributed for each subsequent fishing year, which now begins on August 1. January landings occurred due the original January to June fixed closed season not being effective until January 27, 2018. Therefore, greater amberjack opened on January 1, 2018 and closed at 12:01 a.m. on January 27, 2018. Greater amberjack reopened May 1, 2018 with the effective date of the new fixed closed season. Due to these changes, the 2017-2018 fishing year includes landings from January and May only.
| Species Complex | Fixed Closed Season | August | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec | Jan-Feb | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | July | Total Reported | ACT | ACL | %ACT | %ACL | Datset | Quota Closure |
| Greater Amberjack(a) | Nov 1 - Apr 30 & Jun 1 - July 31 | 243,723 | 195,358 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24,455 | 25,956 | 489,492 | 1,086,985 | 1,309,620 | 45% | 37% | MRIP-CHTS |
| Species Complex | Fixed Closed Season | August | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec | Jan-Feb | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | July | Total Reported | ACT | ACL | %ACT | %ACL | Quota Closure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Amberjack(a) | Nov 1 - Apr 30 & Jun 1 - July 31 | 361,662 | 567,063 | 522 | 0 | 187 | 12,645 | 4,563 | 946,642 | 902,185 | 1,086,970 | 105% | 87% | 5/1/2019 FB19-016 |
a. Greater amberjack landings exclude Monroe County, Florida.
| Species Complex | Fixed Closed Season | Jul-Aug | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec | Jan-Feb | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | Total Reported | Annual Catch Limit | %ACL | Datset | Quota Closure |
| King Mackerel | - | 290,621 | 362,963 | 108,673 | 162,429 | 5,789 | 14,781 | 945,256 | 5,810,000 | 16% | MRIP-CHTS |
Recreational fisherman with red snapper.
North Atlantic right whale mom and calf, Photo credit: Blue World Research Institute
Recreational angler holding red snapper. Credit: Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
