Fisheries Management – Gulf Reef Fish

Current understanding

To be populated as evidence accumulates.

2026-10-06 — Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of America; Amendment 62: NOAA final rule (Amendment 62) revises Gulf red grouper annual catch limits and commercial/recreational allocation and eliminates the February–March recreational shallow-water grouper closure in deeper federal waters. (novelty: 2)
2013-01-23 — Rigs to Reefs Habitat Protection Act: cross-connection with rigs-to-reefs-program: Retaining platforms as artificial reefs is framed as protecting fish habitat relevant to Gulf reef fish stocks. (novelty: 3)
2026-09-10 — Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of America; 2027 Red Grouper Commercial Quota Retention: NOAA proposed rule (2027) would withhold a portion of the 2027 commercial red grouper quota from the January 1, 2027 IFQ allocation to Gulf grouper-and-tilefish shareholders, reserving it to seed a planned quota-pool pilot program. (novelty: 2)