December 14th, 2016 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council: 

Commercial harvest of gray triggerfish in South Atlantic waters will close at 12:01 a.m. (local time) December 16, 2016. Landings data and projections indicate that commercial harvest of gray triggerfish is projected to reach the 2016 July through December quota.  As a result, commercial harvest of gray triggerfish in South Atlantic waters will be closed for the remainder of the fishing year.  The 2017 January through June fishing season reopens at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on January 1, 2017.

The operator of a vessel with a valid federal commercial permit for snapper-grouper who is landing gray triggerfish for sale must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such gray triggerfish prior to 12:01 a.m., local time,

December 16, 2016. The prohibition on sale does not apply to sale or purchase of gray triggerfish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m. (local time) December 16, 2016, and held in cold storage by a dealer or processor. 

 During the commercial closure:

• Harvest or possession of gray triggerfish in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits when the recreational sector is open.
• The bag and possession limits for gray triggerfish and the prohibition on sale/purchase apply in the South Atlantic on board a vessel for which a valid federal commercial or charter vessel/headboat permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper has been issued, without regard to where such species were harvested, i.e., in state or federal waters.

This closure is necessary to protect the gray triggerfish resource by preventing the commercial quota from being exceeded.