July 20, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
WHAT/WHEN:
- The commercial harvest of snowy grouper in federal waters of the South Atlantic will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 24, 2018. During the commercial closure, all sale or purchase of snowy grouper is prohibited, and harvest or possession of snowy grouper in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational sector is open.
WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:
- The 2018 commercial catch limit is 144,315 pounds gutted weight, or 170,291 pounds whole weight. Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial catch limit. According to the accountability measure, harvest should close to prevent the catch limit from being exceeded.
AFTER THE CLOSURE:
- The closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels that have a federal commercial permit for South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper.
- The prohibition on sale or purchase during a closure for snowy grouper does not apply to fish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m. on July 24, 2018, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
- The 2019 commercial fishing season for snowy grouper in the South Atlantic will open on January 1, 2019, with a catch limit of 153,935 pounds gutted weight, or 181,644 pounds whole weight.
This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=383bc195ccbeab4fd6bec1c24905df34&node=sp50.12.622.i&rgn=div6#se50.12.622_1193