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ISSUE DATE: March 21, 2025
FB25-011
CONTACT: Mary Vara, Sustainable Fisheries, 727-824-5305
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NOAA Fisheries Announces the Length of the 2025 Recreational Fishing Season for Gag in the South Atlantic Region
What/When:
- The 2025 recreational fishing season for gag in federal waters of the South Atlantic will start at 12:01 a.m., (local time), on May 1, 2025, and end at 12:01 a.m., (local time) on June 26, 2025.
- NOAA Fisheries estimates that recreational landings during the 2025 fishing season will reach the 2025 recreational annual catch limit of 176,665 pounds gutted weight by June 26, 2025.
- Recreational harvest for the 2026 fishing year in South Atlantic federal waters will open at 12:01 a.m., (local time), on May 1, 2026, unless otherwise specified.
Why This Announcement is Happening:
- NOAA Fisheries must reduce the length of the 2025 season because recreational landings in 2024 exceeded the 2024 recreational annual catch limit.
- NOAA Fisheries must reduce the season by the amount necessary to prevent the recreational annual catch limit from being exceeded in 2025.
- The requirements to reduce the season were effective on October 23, 2023, through the final rule to implement Amendment 53 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region.
- The final rule also reduced the annual catch limits for gag to end overfishing and rebuild the stock.
This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations at 50 CFR part 622 or at https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-VI/part-622/subpart-I/.
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Sign Up for Text Message Alerts
Our Text Message Alert Program allows you to receive important fishery related alerts via text message (SMS). Standard message and data rates may apply. You may opt-out at any time. Text alerts you may receive include immediate fishery openings and closures and any significant changes to fishing regulations that happen quickly.
Sign up for one or more of the fisheries-related alerts below by texting the following to 888777:
- Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico) Recreational: Text GULFRECFISH
- Gulf of America Commercial: Text GULFCOMMFISH
- South Atlantic Recreational: Text SATLRECFISH
- South Atlantic Commercial: Text SATLCOMMFISH
- Caribbean: Text CARIBFISH
Permits Mailbox
The Permits Office in St. Petersburg, Florida now has a Permits mailbox in the front lobby (263 13th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701). You can now drop off original permits for permit transfers. Envelopes with information labels will be provided so that your documents can be attached to the correct application. The mailbox will be checked daily. For more information contact the Permits Office at (877) 376-4877.
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Other Contacts
Media: Allison Garrett (727) 551-5750
Recreational Fishing Coordinator: Sean Meehan (727) 385-5202
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