Changes to Grouper Catch Limits, Recreational Season, and Management Measures for 2025 Reading Time: 4 minutes

There’s big news on the horizon for recreational and commercial Grouper fishers!

The Gulf Council has recently proposed a series of new management measures for both shallow-water and deep-water Groupers. The changes, outlined in Reef Fish Amendments 58A and 58B, could affect catch limits, sector allocations, and fishing seasons across the region.

A female angler is sitting on a charter boat and holding a large Black Grouper, a species of shallow-water Grouper – that will soon see changes in rules, with a reduced catch limits and season – with the ocean and blue sky in the background.
Photo courtesy of Arrieta Sport Fishing

Why? The primary aim is to take care of two Grouper groups (complexes) in a more responsible way to ensure their populations are healthy and available for years to come. At the end of the day, with better management, we hope to see better sustainability.

Shallow and Deep Water Grouper Species

Reef Fish Amendments 58A and 58B focus on eight Grouper species, divided into two complexes based on the depth at which these fish live, as well as their habitat:

Shallow-Water Grouper Complex

Deep-Water Groupers Complex

These complexes face different challenges, so the proposed Grouper rule changes are tailored for each complex individually.

Shallow-Water Grouper Rule Changes

Short-Term Solution

In the past, shallow-water Groupers didn’t have an official season. Instead, they regularly had seasonal closures because quotas were being met earlier and earlier. So, the Gulf Council has taken short-term action to reduce the annual catch limit for shallow-water Groupers, and introduced a fixed recreational season.

The short-term solution reduces the annual catch limit by almost 55% (or 322,000 pounds gutted weight), but this was the least conservative alternative according to the Council. As for the season, the shallow-water Grouper complex will be open for recreational fishing between July 1 and December 31.

Four people are on a boat, with three children standing and an adult sitting, holding a large Grouper. You can see the sea and sky in the background.
Photo courtesy of Arrieta Sport Fishing

Reef Fish Amendment 58A

But what does Amendment 58A bring to the table? Well, it’s likely that the shallow-water Grouper complex wil be further split into two sub-complexes. One sub-complex will consist of Scamp and Yellowmouth Grouper, and the other of Black and Yellowfin Grouper.

Right now, the recreational landings and stock assessments of these fish aren’t comparable. They’re tracked differently across species, using separate surveys and methods. By grouping them into sub-complexes, management will improve, data collection will be more precise, and regulations will be adjusted according to each sub-complex. 

Deep-Water Grouper Rule Changes

The deep-water Grouper complex is comprised of four species – Speckled Hind, Warsaw, Snowy, and Yellowedge Grouper – and is managed with the same annual catch limit for both commercial and recreational fishing. Besides this combined quota, there’s another problem: Yellowedge Grouper make up 80% of the catch! 

It comes as no surprise that the 2023 stock assessment confirmed overfishing. So, in an attempt to curb it, the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee recommended new sustainable practices and management measures. These suggestions are outlined in Reef Fish Amendment 58B.

A man on a boat holding a big Grouper with both hands after successful fishing in Florida; another person is partly visible with fishing rods, set against the ocean and clear sky.

Reef Fish Amendment 58B

The Council is developing Reef Fish Amendment 58B with the aim to:

  • Revise the Annual Catch Limit. The Council wants to make sure harvests don’t exceed sustainable levels. In other words, they’ll propose a quota that can be taken in a year without harming the population in the future. One of the ways to achieve this is to introduce new catch limits for Yellowedge Grouper, the most affected species. Quotas for the other three species would also be adjusted based on average landings. Besides individual catch limits, the Council wants to keep all four species on the combined quota to ensure they’re still managed as an entire complex.
  • Establish Sector Allocation. Another important measure would be establishing separate allocations for commercial and recreational fishing. The Council proposes dividing the quota between commercial and recreational fishing because, currently, commercial harvests take about 97% of the total allocation.
  • Modify Recreational Accountability Measures. Accountability measures are there to prevent catch limits from being exceeded. In the event this happens, these measures also address it. The modification will manage the issue more accurately. Instead of relying on in-season projections, the Council would apply accountability measures after the fishing year ends with this proposal.

If approved, these changes are likely to shorten the recreational season and reduce annual catch limits, especially for Yellowedge Grouper. But, if we’re lucky, they’ll also end overfishing and allow deep-water Grouper fishing to be long-lasting!

When Can You Expect the Rule Changes?

The Council is set to take the final action on the proposed changes in August 2025. They plan to have a series of meetings and public hearings on Reef Fish Amendments 58A and 58B before they are implemented. 

Stay tuned, we’ll keep you posted!

Have you ever fished for shallow-water or deep-water Groupers? What do you think about the proposed rule changes? Do you agree that sustainability measures should be implemented? Hit the button below and share your thoughts with us.

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