NOAA is asking for public comments on a new proposal to change how Gulf red grouper is managed. In a bulletin published April 2, the agency said Amendment 62 would revise catch limits, update sector allocations, and remove the recreational February to March shallow water grouper seasonal closure in federal waters seaward of the 20 fathom boundary. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
The proposal matters because red grouper is a closely watched species in Gulf fisheries, and the changes would affect both commercial and recreational management. NOAA said the amendment is based on recommendations from the Gulf Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee and is intended to promote optimum yield for Gulf red grouper. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
NOAA wants to raise and reset key red grouper limits
According to NOAA, Amendment 62 would revise the status determination criteria for red grouper and set a new overfishing limit and acceptable biological catch. The bulletin says the total annual catch limit would be set at 80% of the acceptable biological catch in 2026, 90% in 2027, and equal to the acceptable biological catch in 2028 and later years. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
NOAA also published the proposed 2026 catch figures in gutted weight. The bulletin lists a 2026 overfishing limit of 10.63 million pounds, an acceptable biological catch of 8.28 million pounds, a total annual catch limit of 6.62 million pounds, a recreational annual catch target of 1.92 million pounds, and a commercial quota of 4.28 million pounds. The full bulletin is available here NOAA Fisheries bulletin. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
Sector allocations would shift under the proposed amendment
NOAA says the amendment would modify sector annual catch limits, the commercial quota, and the recreational annual catch target. The agency said the proposal would keep using the same 1986 to 2005 reference period used for current sector allocations, but would replace private recreational vessel harvest estimates from MRIP Fishing Effort Survey with estimates from the Florida State Reef Fish Survey. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
As a result of that transition, NOAA said the recreational sector would be allocated 31.8% of the total annual catch limit, while the commercial sector would receive 68.2%. The bulletin also says the recreational annual catch target would continue to be reduced by 9% from the recreational annual catch limit, and the commercial quota would remain 5% below the commercial annual catch limit to account for the existing red grouper multi use provision. More federal fishery action material is also available on the NOAA amendment action page. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
The seasonal closure change could affect recreational access
One of the most visible parts of the proposal is the planned removal of the recreational February to March shallow water grouper closure in federal waters seaward of the 20 fathom boundary. NOAA says that change is expected to allow greater access to the red grouper resource for recreational fishermen. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
The bulletin explains that shallow water grouper is a group of six species: red grouper, gag, black grouper, yellowmouth grouper, scamp, and yellowfin grouper. NOAA says red grouper and gag are managed as individual species, while the other four are managed together as the Other Shallow Water Grouper complex. For broader fisheries context in English, readers can also see Agroinformacion. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Public comments are open until June 1
NOAA says the comment period for the notice of availability is open now through June 1, 2026. The agency also says the comment period on the proposed rule is expected to fall within that same timeframe, and that comments on both the amendment and proposed rule will be considered when deciding whether to approve the amendment and finalize the rulemaking. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
Electronic comments must be submitted through the federal rulemaking portal, and NOAA says comments sent by other methods such as email, or received after the deadline, may not be considered. The official bulletin was published by NOAA Fisheries in its Gulf of America Fishery Bulletin on April 2, 2026. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}