Credit: Wendy Paquette.
Recreational fisherman with red snapper.
Gulf of Mexico Historical Recreational Landings and Annual Catch Limit (ACL) Monitoring
This page provides a summary of recreational landings history in the Gulf of Mexico and information regarding regulations at that time. Any discrepancies between this information and the regulations published in the Federal Register will be resolved in favor of the Federal Register.
- CURRENT RECREATIONAL LANDINGS: Gulf of Mexico Recreational Landings
- FISHING REGS & SEASONAL CLOSURES: Gulf of Mexico Fishing Regulations and Seasonal Closures
- FOR THE MOST CURRENT FEDERAL REGULATIONS: Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 622 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic
- FOR ALL LANDINGS: Southeast Region Annual Catch Limit Monitoring.
- DEFINITIONS: ACL - Annual Catch Limit ww - whole weight gw - gutted weight NA - not applicable
Cobia - east coast Florida
| Year | Fishing Year | Total Reported | Units | ACT | ACT % | ACL | ACL % | Closure Date | Data Source | ||
| 2019 | Jan 1 - Dec 31 | 190,981 | as reported | 710,000 | 26.9 | 860,000 | 22.2 | MRIP | |||
| 2018 | 564,857 | 710,000 | 79.6 | 860,000 | 65.7 | MRIP | |||||
| 2017 | 297,007 | 710,000 | 41.8 | 860,000 | 34.5 | MRIP | |||||
| 2016 | 447,026 | 710,000 | 63.0 | 860,000 | 52.0 | MRIP | |||||
| 2015 | 425,266 | 680,000 | 62.5 | 830,000 | 51.2 | MRIP | |||||
| *The Florida East Coast Zone (east coast of Florida and Atlantic side of the Florida Keys) is part of the Gulf of Mexico stock and is jointly managed with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. | |||||||||||
Gag Grouper
| Year | Fishing Year | Seasonal Closure | Total Reported* | Units | ACT | ACT % | ACL | ACL % | Closure Date | Data Source | |
| 2019 | Jan 1- Dec 31 | Jan 1 - May 31 | 859,828 | gw | 1,708,000 | 50.3 | 1,903,000 | 45.2 | MRIP | ||
| 2018 | 1,008,468 | 1,708,000 | 59.0 | 1,903,000 | 53.0 | MRIP | |||||
| 2017 | 832,960 | 1,708,000 | 48.8 | 1,903,000 | 43.8 | MRIP | |||||
| 2016 | 796,430 | 1,708,000 | 46.6 | 1,903,000 | 41.9 | MRIP | |||||
| 2015 | 823,940 | 1,708,000 | 48.2 | 1,903,000 | 43.3 | 12/3/15 | MRFSS | ||||
| 2014 | Jan 1 - June 30 | 862,101 | 1,519,000 | 56.8 | 1,720,000 | 50.1 | 12/3/14 | MRFSS | |||
| 2013 | 1,435,421 | 1,287,000 | 111.5 | 1,495,000 | 96.0 | MRFSS | |||||
| 2012 | Jan 1 - June 30 & Nov 1 - Dec 31 | 938,547 | 1,031,000 | 91.0 | 1,232,000 | 76.2 | MRFSS | ||||
| 2011 | 660,287 | 780,000 | 84.7 | 964,000 | 68.5 | MRFSS | |||||
| 2010 | 1,664,257 | 2,140,000 | 77.8 | 2,640,000 | 63.0 | MRFSS | |||||
| *Gag landings exclude Monroe County, Florida. | |||||||||||
Gray Triggerfish
| Year | Fishing Year | Seasonal Closure | Total Reported | Units | ACT | Payback ACT | ACT % | ACL | Payback ACL | ACL % | Closure Date | Data Source | |
| 2019 | Jan 1- Dec 31 | Jan 1 - end of Feb and Jun 1 - Jul 31 | 310,868 | ww | 217,100 | 143.2 | 241,200 | 128.9 | 5/11/19 | MRFSS | |||
| 2018 | 461,900 | 217,100 | 212.8 | 241,200 | 191.5 | 8/18/18 | MRFSS | ||||||
| 2017 | June 1- July 31 | 62,731 | 217,100 | 0 | 0.0 | 241,200 | 19,987 | 26.0 | 1/1/17 | MRFSS | |||
| 2016 | 432,641 | 217,100 | 177,123 | 199.3 | 241,200 | 201,223 | 179.4 | 6/1/16 | MRFSS | ||||
| 2015 | 94,174 | 217,100 | 30,107 | 43.4 | 241,200 | 54,207 | 39.0 | 2/7/15 | MRFSS | ||||
| 2014 | 217,891 | 217,100 | 1,658 | 100.4 | 241,200 | 25,758 | 90.3 | 5/1/14 | MRFSS | ||||
| 2013 | 453,251 | 217,100 | NA | 241,200 | 187.9 | 10/15/13 | MRFSS | ||||||
| 2012 | 277,720 | 217,100 | 241,200 | 115.1 | 6/11/12 | MRFSS | |||||||
| 2011 | 461,549 | 405,000 | 457,000 | 101.0 | MRFSS | ||||||||
| 2010 | 296,360 | 405,000 | 457,000 | 64.8 | MRFSS | ||||||||
| Due to the timing of when payback notices were published and total reported landings updates were received, total prior year overages and Federal Register noticed payback-adjusted ACTs and ACLs may not match. %ACT and %ACL are based on nonpayback numbers as that is how an overage and subsequent payback is determined if needed. However, in years of a payback, landings are constrained to the payback ACT and are not to exceed the payback ACL. | |||||||||||||
Greater Amberjack
| Year | Fishing Year | Seasonal Closure | Total Reported* | Units | ACT | Payback ACT | ACT % | ACL | Payback ACL | ACL % | Closure Date | Data Source | ||
| 2018/2019 | Aug 1 - July 30 | Nov 1 - Apr 30 and Jun 1 - Jul 31 | 945,906 | ww | 902,185 | 104.8 | 1,086,970 | 87.0 | 5/1/19 | MRIP | ||||
| 2017*/2018 | 622,011 | 716,173 | 86.9 | 862,860 | 72.1 | MRIP | ||||||||
| 2017 | Jan 1 - Dec 31 | Jun 1 - Jul 31 | 794,202 | 1,092,372 | 335,741 | 72.7 | 1,255,600 | 498,969 | 63.3 | 3/24/17 | MRIP | |||
| 2016 | 1,962,559 | 1,092,372 | 1,034,442 | 179.7 | 1,255,600 | 1,197,670 | 156.3 | 6/1/16 | MRIP | |||||
| 2015 | 1,352,930 | 1,130,000 | 119.7 | 1,299,000 | 104.2 | 9/28/15 | MRFSS | |||||||
| 2014 | 912,254 | 1,130,000 | 888,829 | 80.7 | 1,299,000 | 1,057,829 | 70.2 | 8/24/14 | MRFSS | |||||
| 2013 | 1,534,462 | 1,130,000 | 135.8 | 1,299,000 | 118.1 | MRFSS | ||||||||
| 2012 | 1,322,788 | 1,130,000 | 117.1 | 1,299,000 | 101.8 | MRFSS | ||||||||
| 2011 | 1,032,063 | NA | NA | 1,368,000 | 1,315,224 | 75.4 | MRFSS | |||||||
| 2010 | None | 1,316,291 | 1,368,000 | 1,243,184 | 96.2 | MRFSS | ||||||||
| Greater amberjack landings exclude Monroe County, Florida. | ||||||||||||||
| *The rule implementing the January through June closure went into effect on January 27, 2018. The rule that modified the seasonal closure to be November through April and June through July, as well as establisheding the August 1 - July 31 fishing year, went into effective on April 30, 2018. Due to when these rules went into effect, only landings from January 1, 2018 through July 31, 2018 are attributed to the 2017-2018 fishing year. | ||||||||||||||
| Due to the timing of when payback notices were published and total reported landings updates were received, total prior year overages and Federal Register noticed payback-adjusted ACTs and ACLs may not match. %ACT and %ACL are based on nonpayback numbers as that is how an overage and subsequent payback is determined if needed. However, in years of a payback, landings are constrained to the payback ACT and are not to exceed the payback ACL. | ||||||||||||||
King Mackerel
| Year | Fishing Year | Total Reported | Units | ACL | ACL % | Closure Date | Data Source | ||
| 2019/2020 | Jul 1 - Jun 30 | 1,622,334 | as reported | 5,810,000 | 27.9 | MRIP | |||
| 2018/2019 | 2,279,432 | 5,920,000 | 38.5 | MRIP | |||||
| 2017/2018 | 2,344,872 | 6,040,000 | 38.8 | MRIP | |||||
| 2016/2017 | 2,778,688 | 6,260,000 | 44.4 | MRIP | |||||
| 2015/2016 | 2,353,611 | 7,344,000 | 32.0 | MRFSS | |||||
| 2014/2015 | 4,615,150 | 7,344,000 | 62.8 | MRFSS | |||||
| 2013/2014 | 2,807,447 | 7,344,000 | 38.2 | MRFSS | |||||
| 2012/2013 | 4,102,846 | 8,092,000 | 50.7 | MRFSS | |||||
| 2011/2012 | 2,806,173 | 8,092,000 | 34.7 | MRFSS | |||||
Red Grouper
| Year | Fishing Year | Total Reported | Units | ACT | ACT % | ACL | ACL % | Closure Date | Data Source | ||
| 2019 | Jan 1 - Dec 31* | 764,985 | gw | 920,000 | 83.2 | 1,000,000 | 76.5 | MRIP | |||
| 2018 | 872,045 | 2,370,000 | 36.8 | 2,580,000 | 33.8 | MRIP | |||||
| 2017 | 807,085 | 2,370,000 | 34.1 | 2,580,000 | 31.3 | MRIP | |||||
| 2016 | 1,403,236 | 2,370,000 | 59.2 | 2,580,000 | 54.4 | MRIP | |||||
| 2015 | 1,847,573 | 1,800,000 | 102.6 | 1,900,000 | 97.2 | 10/8/15 | MRFSS | ||||
| 2014 | 1,600,475 | 1,780,000 | 89.9 | 1,900,000 | 84.2 | 10/4/14 | MRFSS | ||||
| 2013 | 2,377,111 | 1,740,000 | 136.6 | 1,900,000 | 125.1 | MRFSS | |||||
| 2012 | 1,752,930 | 1,700,000 | 103.1 | 1,900,000 | 92.3 | MRFSS | |||||
| 2011 | 643,745 | 1,650,000 | 39.0 | 1,850,000 | 34.8 | MRFSS | |||||
| 2010 | 635,680 | 1,820,000 | 34.9 | 1,850,000 | 34.4 | MRFSS | |||||
| *There is a shallow-water grouper seasonal closure beyond the 20-fathoms break from February 1-March 31 | |||||||||||
Red Snapper
| Year | Fishing Year | Seasonal Closure | Component | Total Reported | Units | ACT | Payback ACT | ACT % | ACL | Pyback ACL | ACL % | Closure Date | Data Source |
| 2019*** | Jan 1 - Dec 31 | Jan 1 - May 31 | Private Angler | *** | ww | *** | 4,269,000 | ||||||
| For-Hire | 2,558,734 | 2,848,300 | 89.8 | 3,130,000 | 81.7 | MRIP | |||||||
| 2018*** | Private Angler | *** | *** | 3,885,000 | |||||||||
| For-Hire | 2,486,702 | 2,278,000 | 109.2 | 2,848,000 | 87.3 | MRIP | |||||||
| 2017 | Private Angler | 6,590,221 | 3,108,000 | 3,004,075 | 212.0 | 3,885,000 | 3,755,094 | 169.6 | 6/4/17** | MRIP | |||
| For-Hire | 2,272,549 | 2,278,000 | 99.8 | 2,848,000 | 79.8 | 7/20/17 | MRIP | ||||||
| 2016 | Private Angler | 5,293,635 | 3,320,000 | 159.4 | 4,150,000 | 127.6 | 6/12/16 | MRIP | |||||
| For-Hire | 2,142,815 | 2,434,000 | 88.0 | 3,042,000 | 70.4 | 7/17/16 | MRIP | ||||||
| 2015 | Private Angler | 3,806,474 | 3,234,000 | 117.7 | 4,043,000 | 94.1 | 6/11/15 | MRIP | |||||
| For-Hire | 2,153,677 | 2,371,000 | 90.8 | 2,964,000 | 72.7 | 7/15/15 | MRIP | ||||||
| 2014 | Recreational | 3,835,365 | 4,312,000 | 88.9 | 5,390,000 | 71.2 | 6/10/14 | MRIP (2/28/18) | |||||
| 2013 | 9,702,901 | NA | NA | 5,390,000 | 180.0 | 6/29/2013 reopened 10/1/2013 closed 10/15/2013 | |||||||
| 2012 | 5,802,491 | 3,959,000 | 146.6 | 7/17/12 | MRFSS (2/28/18) | ||||||||
| 2011 | 4,602,553 | 3,866,000 | 119.1 | 7/19/11 | |||||||||
| 2010 | 2,238,908 | 3,403,000 | 65.8 | 7/24/10* | |||||||||
| *Red snapper was reopened on weekends (Fri-Sun), between 12:01 a.m. October 1 through 12:01 a.m. November 22, 2010. | |||||||||||||
| **Private angler red snapper was reopened on weekends (Fri-Sun), between 12:01 a.m. June 16 through 12:01 a.m. September 4, 2017. Was also open July 3 and 4, 2017. | |||||||||||||
| ***States managed 2018 and 2019 private landings under an EFP. Totals and ACL are cumulative for states. | |||||||||||||
Credit: Wendy Paquette.
Recreational fisherman with red snapper.
