Reminder: Gulf grouper recreational season opens April 1, 2011
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council reminds the public that the recreational harvest of shallow-water groupers in the Gulf of Mexico federal waters reopens April 1 . Please note the recreational harvest of gag grouper is still prohibited.
The annual closure of Gulf recreational shallow-water grouper fishery, which includes gag, black, red, yellowfin, scamp, yellowmouth, rock hind and red hind, runs from February 1 through March 31, and it is designed to protect gag, which are often found and caught with the other grouper species. The two-month closure during spawning season helps reduce overfishing of gag and rebuild its populations so that larger annual harvests may be possible in the future.
For more information regarding federal fishing regulations, please visit: http://www.gulfcouncil.org/fishing_regulations/index.php.
Photo by HuntFishGuide
