Gag and red grouper regulations are soon to change in the Gulf of Mexico. Offshore fishermen should expect Reef Fish Amendment 30B to be enacted sometime in late 2009 or early 2010. (To read specifics of the amendment, go to: http://www.gulfcouncil.org/beta/gmfmcweb/downloads/Draft%20Amendment%2030B-Public%20hearing.pdf)

In the meantime, fisheries managers are pushing for an interim rule which implements portions of Amendment 30B that pertain to gag, red snapper, greater amberjack and gray triggerfish. The interim rule is expected to become effective by January 1, 2009.

Here’s what Gulf grouper anglers need to know about the interim rule. Managers set the recreational gag bag and possession limit to two per person, per day. The aggregate bag limit will remain at five during the interim period. Fisheries managers also extended the recreational closed season for gag grouper from February 1 through March 31. The closed season for black and red groupers remains February 15 to March 15.

When the interim rule gets replaced by Amendment 30B, the recreational grouper aggregate lowers to four fish, with a two gag and two red grouper bag and possession limit. It also includes a recreational closed season for all shallow-water grouper from February 1 through March 31.

Amendment 30B also sets the total allowable catch (TAC) for both gag and red grouper. The gag TAC will stair-step upward: 3.38 million pounds (mp) in 2009, 3.62 mp in 2010 and 3.82 mp in 2011. The red grouper TAC is set at 7.57 mp. During the interim period, allocation of TAC between the recreational and commercial fisheries will be set at 61% recreational and 39% commercial for gag, and 24% recreational, 76% commercial for red grouper.

Finally, the amendment sets annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) for recreational and commercial gag and red grouper. Limits and measures will be tweaked or curtailed if recreational fishermen surpass harvest limits, says the Gulf Council.