The recreational fishing season for gag will end at 12:01 a.m., (local time) on June 15, 2024. June 15, 2024, is when NOAA Fisheries estimates recreational landings will reach the 2024 recreational annual catch limit of 133,075 pounds gutted weight.

Why This is Happening:

Effective October 23, 2023, the final rule for Amendment 53 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 53) specified the 2024 commercial and recreational annual catch limits for gag.

Federal regulations required NOAA Fisheries to reduce the 2024 commercial annual catch limit because commercial landings in 2023 exceeded the commercial annual catch limit, the combined commercial and recreational catch limit was exceeded in 2023, and gag are overfished.

NOAA Fisheries was also required to reduce the length of the 2024 recreational season because the annual catch limit was exceeded for the recreational sector in 2023.
To end overfishing and rebuild the gag stock, the final rule for Amendment 53 also reduced the commercial trip limit for gag and established a recreational vessel limit for gag and black grouper.

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/.