FWC approves Gulf greater amberjack conservation measures

Nov. 19, 2015

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FWC approves Gulf greater amberjack conservation measures

 At its Nov. 18 meeting in Panama City Beach, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved closing Gulf state waters to recreational harvest of greater amberjack for the remainder of 2015. Greater amberjack closed to harvest in Gulf federal waters Sept. 28.

Greater amberjack will close to harvest in state waters on Saturday, Nov. 21 and will remain closed through Dec. 31. Both state and federal waters will reopen Jan. 1, 2016.

This closure should help prevent exceeding the annual federal recreational quota, which is the poundage of fish that can be caught each year while maintaining a sustainable fishery.

The Commission approved keeping the recreational red grouper season open in state waters. Though the federal season has closed, the Commission voted to keep the season open based upon a reduced bag limit from four to two fish implemented earlier this year, the low risk to significantly impacting the federal recreational quota and the importance of the recreational fishery in the fall and winter seasons, especially in southwest Florida.

To learn more about greater amberjack and red grouper regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater” and “Recreational Regulations.”