Grouper fishermen in the Gulf have cause to dance a jig for joy. U.S. District Judge John E. Steele ruled Monday that federal officials went too far, when they outlawed all grouper fishing to protect just one species, red grouper. So, a two-month ban on recreational grouper fishing in the Gulf, scheduled to begin last Tuesday, has been overturned.

Monday's ruling came after a pair of lawsuits that the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and The Fishing Rights Alliance (FRA) filed against the U.S. Commerce department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

"This is a big day for the state of Florida and all saltwater anglers," said Ted Forsgren, director of the Florida Chapter of the CCA. "We see this

ruling as a victory."

The decision means that many species of grouper can be caught in federal waters this autumn and winter, and certainly beyond nine miles offshore in the Gulf. However, red grouper remain off limits in those waters through December. They can be caught in state waters inside the 9-mile mark, but reds, especially keepers, are generally found in deeper water.

The restrictions would have established a closed season for all grouper in November and December in federal waters beyond nine miles offshore, but it’s not to be. This happened after some questionable data from NOAA that showed that recreational fisherman in 2004 exceeded the red grouper catch quota by a shocking 138 percent.

More on this story at: http://www.floridasportsman.com/casts/051108

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