For Immediate Release
April 6, 2023
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council took final action on Framework Amendment 12, to eliminate the weekend closure for the commercial king mackerel gillnet season in the Southern Zone of the Gulf of Mexico.
Originally, weekend closures were put in place to ensure that the gillnetters didn’t over harvest their quota over the weekend when federal offices were closed. However, the gillnet fishermen have worked closely with NOAA Fisheries to monitor landings and voluntarily stop fishing when the quota is close to being met. The Council decided to remove the weekend fishing restriction for the gillnet component of the commercial king mackerel fishery to ensure that their king mackerel quota can be harvested as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Framework Amendment 12 will be transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce for approval and implementation as soon as practicable.