NOAA’s Sustainable Fisheries Division Caribbean Branch, together with the Caribbean Fishery Management Council, manages fisheries in federal waters of the U.S. Caribbean Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Federal waters begin where Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Island jurisdictional waters end and extend 200 miles into the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
This summary is intended to provide appropriate information to fishers about regulations and the sustainable use of marine fishery resources in the U.S. Caribbean. This summary is for general information purposes. Fishery Regulations are subject to changes. For more information on fishery regulations consult the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 50 CFR 622.
Seasonal closures applicable to specific species
Species |
Seasonal Closure |
| Nassau grouper | HARVEST PROHIBITED |
| Goliath grouper | HARVEST PROHIBITED |
| Midnight parrotfish | HARVEST PROHIBITED |
| Blue parrotfish | HARVEST PROHIBITED |
| Rainbow parrotfish | HARVEST PROHIBITED |
| Red grouper | February 1 - April 30 |
| Black grouper | February 1 - April 30 |
| Tiger grouper | February 1 - April 30 |
| Yellowfin grouper | February 1 - April 30 |
| Yellowedge grouper | February 1 - April 30 |
| Red hind grouper | December 1 - Last Day of February |
| Mutton snapper | April 1 - June 30 |
| Lane snapper | April 1 - June 30 |
| Black snapper | October 1 - December 31 |
| Blackfin snapper | October 1 - December 31 |
| Vermilion snapper | October 1 - December 31 |
| Silk snapper | October 1 - December 31 |
| Queen conch(a) | June 1 - October 31 |
(a) Fishing for or possession of queen conch in the U.S. Caribbean EEZ is prohibited, with the exception of Lang Bank, St. Croix, USVI (east of 64°34’W) during the open season (November 1 - May 31).
Seasonal closures and year-round prohibitions applicable to specific areas
| Area(b) | Island | Seasonal Closure | Year-round Prohibition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hind Bank Marine Conservation District | St. Thomas | Year-round | Fishing for any species and anchoring by fishing vessels are prohibited year-round. |
| Grammanik Bank (c) | St. Thomas | February 1 - April 30 | Fishing with pots, traps, bottom longlines, gillnets or trammel nets is prohibited year-round. |
| Mutton snapper spawning aggregation area | St. Croix | March 1 - June 30 | Fishing with pots, traps, bottom longlines, gillnets or trammel nets is prohibited year-round. |
| Lang Bank | St. Croix | December 1 - February 28 | Fishing with pots, traps, bottom longlines, gillnets or trammel nets is prohibited year-round. |
| Tourmaline Bank | Puerto Rico | December 1 - February 28 | Fishing with pots, traps, bottom longlines, gillnets or trammel nets is prohibited year-round. |
| Abrir La Sierra | Puerto Rico | December 1 - February 28 | Fishing with pots, traps, bottom longlines, gillnets or trammel nets is prohibited year-round. |
| Bajo de Sico (d) | Puerto Rico | October 1 - March 31 | Fishing with pots, traps, bottom longlines, gillnets or trammel nets is prohibited year-round. Anchoring by fishing vessels is prohibited year-round. |
(b) For coordinates of each closed area, please see the Caribbean Closed Areas Coordinates.
(c) During the seasonal closure, no person may fish for or possess any species of fish, except highly migratory species, in or from Grammanik Bank. “Fish” means finfish, mollusks, crustaceans, and all other forms of marine animal and plant life other than marine mammals and birds. “Highly migratory species” means bluefin, bigeye, yellowfin, albacore, and skipjack tunas; swordfish; sharks; and white marlin, blue marlin, sailfish, and longbill spearfish.
(d) During the seasonal closure, no person may fish for or possess any Caribbean reef fish, as listed in Table 2 of Appendix A to part 622, in or from those parts of Bajo de Sico that are in federal waters.
Please Note: This summary is intended to provide appropriate information to fishers about regulations and the sustainable use of marine fishery resources in the U.S. Caribbean. This summary is for general information purposes. Fishery Regulations are subject to changes. For more information on fishery regulations consult the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 50 CFR 622 or the NOAA Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Office Fishery Regulation website. Any discrepancies between this information and the regulations as published in the Federal Register will be resolved in favor of the Federal Register.
