Gag grouper regulations look destined to tighten in Gulf of Mexico federal waters, much to the dismay of many grouper diggers along the west coast. The gag and red grouper regulation changes are part of Action 9 of Reef Fish Amendment 30B. The Amendment still must shuffle through plenty of bureaucratic checks and processes, so don’t expect its implementation until well into 2009. In the meantime, an interim rule will go into effect, likely around January, which addresses the gag grouper fishery. The interim rule will be based on suggested alternatives from the Gulf Council.

The latest alternative selected by Gulf Council members institutes a 4-fish grouper aggregate limit. Only two of those four grouper could be gags—that’s a three-fish loss from current regulations. If there is an optimistic side, red grouper limits may increase from one to two fish per person. The new proposed closed season is February 1 to March 31; double the current closure from Feb. 15 to March 15. Size limits on both groupers are not expected to change.

The Gulf Council says the newest regulations will achieve a 25 percent decrease in recreational gag grouper catches, and a four percent increase for red grouper. The newest alternative selected by the Gulf Council is not one of six already penned in past Council meeting notes.

Other alternatives range from no changes at all, to aggregate grouper bag limits down to three, to gag grouper lengths shortened to 20 inches in total length, to no bag limit for red grouper, to a bag limit of one gag grouper per person. One alternative had a 5-month closed season on the two species. Look to Action 9 of Reef Fish Amendment 30B to see all the different alternatives written in their entirety.

In March, a reef-fish advisory panel for the Gulf Council voted overwhelmingly (13 to 1) to maintain gag and red grouper regulations. But that vote now looks meaningless.

Final action on Amendment 30B is anticipated during the August Council meeting in Key Largo, Florida. The tentative date is August 14, says Charlene Ponce, Public Information Officer with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. The meeting will take place at the Key Largo Grande, a Hilton resort. The public is asked to send in comments to the Gulf Council, or be at the final August meeting for public comment.

In the meantime, the Council requested the NMFS draft an interim rule to address the overfishing of gags until Amendment 30B can be implemented. Amendment 30B will not finish in time to be in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, said Ponce.

“I’ve seen these [amendments] take six months to a year-and-a-half to be implemented,” she said. “That’s why we needed the interim rule for the gag grouper. To show we took action within a year of finding a fish species was in decline.” A draft interim rule will also be presented to the Council in August, with implementation anticipated for January 2009. New red grouper regulations will take effect whenever Amendment 30B is implemented.

Current gag grouper regulations in Gulf federal waters are a 22-inch total length, and up to five gags per person as part of the 5-fish-limit aggregate. Current red grouper regulations are a 1-fish limit. Red grouper minimum is 20 inches in total length.