Fishing of Greater Amberjack in Federal Waters of the Gulf to Cease on September 2, 2025
The commercial harvest of greater amberjack in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico will be closed until the 2026 fishing year begins on January 1, 2026. This decision was made by the relevant fisheries management authority due to the annual catch target being met, as shown by landings data.
The regulations for the closure 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-B/.
From September 2, 2025, no greater amberjack caught in Gulf federal waters may be purchased, bartered, traded, or sold. However, the prohibition does not apply to trade in greater amberjack that were harvested, landed ashore, and bartered, traded, or sold before 12:01 am, local time, on September 2, 2025, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
During the closure, any person aboard a vessel with a federal commercial vessel permit for Gulf reef fish must comply with the closure.
For those seeking more information about the closure, the contact for the Recreational Fishing Coordinator is Sean Meehan at 727-385-5202. For media inquiries, Allison Garrett can be reached at 727-551-5750.
Envelopes with information labels are provided for permit transfers at the Permits mailbox installed in the front lobby of the Permits Office in St. Petersburg, Florida (263 13th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701). The mailbox is checked daily. For more information about the Permits mailbox, contact the Permits Office at 877-376-4877.
Texting services for Gulf Recreational Fisheries alerts, Caribbean Fisheries alerts, South Atlantic Recreational Fisheries alerts, South Atlantic Commercial Fisheries alerts, and Gulf Commercial Fisheries alerts are available. To subscribe, text GULFRECFISH, CARIBFISH, SATLRECFISH, SATLCOMMFISH, or GULFCOMMFISH to 888777, respectively.
The in-season accountability measure for commercial greater amberjack has also been modified, and the commercial trip limit has been reduced to 7 fish.
We encourage all fishermen and fisheries enthusiasts to adhere to these regulations to ensure the sustainability of the greater amberjack population in the Gulf of Mexico.
