June 24, 2021 — Local commercial fishermen and others may access a regularly updated list of federal fishing regulations through a new app.
The South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, an interstate fishery management agency with jurisdiction in the federal waters off of the south Atlantic states, including North Carolina, announced May 25 federal commercial fishing regulations in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic are now available on the free Fish Rules Commercial mobile app.
May 25, 2021 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
Federal commercial fishing regulations in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic are now available on the free Fish Rules Commercial mobile app. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council have partnered with Fish Rules, LLC to create an app to host up-to-date, accurate commercial regulations. Now available for free in both the Apple Store and Google Play Store, this mobile application is ready for download immediately.
The app populates with regulations and updates associated with each federal permit that is relevant to you. The app hosts species specific information including the amount of quota harvested, trip limits, and size limits. The app also hosts information on permit conditions and managed areas.
It’s also important to know that the app will function dockside and offshore when you’re out of cellular range.
Up until now, federal commercial fishing regulations have been hosted in the additional information section of the recreational Fish Rules App. Now that the Fish Rules Commercial App is available, those commercial regulations will be removed from the recreational app. We encourage you to transition to the Fish Rules Commercial App where you’ll find much more information relevant to commercial fishing.
We want to ensure that the Fish Rules Commercial App is as accurate, helpful, and user-friendly as possible. Don’t hesitate to contact us directly with questions, comments, and/or suggestions:
South Atlantic Council Contact:
Gulf Council Contact:
April 26, 2021 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
Spring fishing season is underway! If you plan to head offshore, fishermen are reminded that beginning May 1st each year there are a few more species to target in South Atlantic federal waters (greater than 3 nautical miles off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and the east coast of Florida).
May 1st marks the beginning of the shallow-water grouper season, following the annual spawning season closure from January 1st through April 30th. The one exception is the Red Grouper season in federal waters off the coasts of North Carolina and South Carolina, which will open for harvest on June 1st.
Regulations also change for Greater Amberjack, Snowy Grouper, Hogfish and several other species.
Check out the Council’s latest blog for details.
Fish Rules: Always Have the Latest Regulations With You
Before heading offshore, download the free Fish Rules mobile application. Then simply check for updates before your next fishing trip and you’ll have the information in your pocket, no matter where your fishing trip takes you. No signal? No problem. None required to access the correct information once the app has been updated.
Fish Rules Download:
Questions?
Contact Cameron Rhodes, Outreach Program Manager, cameron.rhodes@safmc.net or Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, kim.iverson@safmc.net or call the Council office at 843/571-4366.