NMFS raises Gulf red grouper catch limits and ends recreational seasonal closure
- Commercial and recreational red grouper limits rise through 2028
- Commercial share of total limit moves to 68.2%
- February-March shallow-water grouper closure removed
FR Doc: 2026-20435
What changed The rule raises the commercial annual catch limit for Gulf red grouper from 2.94 million lb to 4.51 million lb for 2026.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued a final rule that raises catch limits for Gulf of America red grouper. The rule also ends a Feb 1 through March 31 recreational closure for shallow-water grouper in federal waters seaward of the 20-fathom boundary.
Under the rule, the commercial annual catch limit rises from 2.94 million lb to 4.51 million lb for 2026. It then rises to 5.08 million lb for 2027 and 5.65 million lb for 2028 and later years. The recreational limit rises from 2.02 million lb to 2.11 million lb for 2026, 2.37 million lb for 2027 and 2.63 million lb for 2028 and later years.
The rule implements Amendment 62, which also changes how the total limit is split between the two sectors. The commercial share moves from 59.3% to 68.2% and the recreational share from 40.7% to 31.8%. Both shares are based on landings from 1986 through 2005, now using recreational estimates from the Florida State Reef Fish Survey.
NMFS said those survey estimates are lower than the earlier data. Keeping the current split "would result in a de facto reallocation from the commercial sector to the recreational sector," according to the rule.
NMFS said the most recent stock assessment, completed in 2025, showed an increase in the size of the red grouper stock. The Gulf Council's scientific committee found the stock was not overfished or undergoing overfishing.
According to the rule, the seasonal closure may be pushing red grouper fishing closer to shore, which reduces the benefit of the closure to the stock. Other shallow-water grouper species have, or will have by Jan 1, 2027, their own closures during that period.
NMFS received 50 public submissions. It said it made no changes to the proposed rule in response.
The rule took effect Oct 2, 2026. NMFS published a notice of availability for Amendment 62 on April 2, 2026, and approved the amendment on June 26, 2026. It then published the proposed rule on July 7, 2026.