Category Archives: Year 2021

Commercial Hook-and-Line Harvest of King Mackerel in Federal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico Southern Zone Will Reopen on April 4, 2021 and Close on April 9, 2021

The following NOAA Fisheries Bulletin is provided as a courtesy: WHAT/WHEN: Commercial hook-and-line harvest of king mackerel in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico Southern Zone (depicted in map below) will reopen for five days in April 2021.  Commercial harvest will reopen at 12:01 a.m., local time, on April 4, 2021, and close at 12:01…

NOAA Fisheries Announces a Delay in the Effective Date for the Final Rule to Require Turtle Excluder Device Use for all Skimmer Trawl Vessels 40 Feet and Greater in Length

The following is provided as a courtesy:  KEY MESSAGE: NOAA Fisheries is delaying the effective date of the final rule amending the definition of tow time and requiring the use of TEDs designed to exclude small sea turtles in their nets in skimmer trawls 40 feet in length and greater in the Southeastern U.S. shrimp…

Gulf Council to Meet by Webinar April 12-15, 2021

Meeting Notice March 26, 2021   The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will meet April 12-15, 2021 by webinar. The meeting will begin with a closed session to make preliminary selections for membership on the Reef Fish and Shrimp Advisory Panels. Appointees will undergo a fishery violations background check prior to finalizing appointments…

It’s Official – The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Adds 14 Additional Reefs

s The 14 additional reefs and banks are officially part of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). As of March 22, 2021, FGBNMS encompasses 17 reefs and banks located approximately 80-125 miles off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. These banks are a combination of small underwater mountains, ridges, troughs, and hard-bottom patches. The…

NOAA Seeking Input to Make Fisheries and Aquaculture More Resilient to Climate Change

This NOAA update is provided as a courtesy:  NOAA is collecting information in response to Section 216(c) of the Executive Order on tackling the climate crisis. NOAA is seeking public input in response to an Executive Order issued on January 27, 2021, titled Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Section 216(c) of the Executive Order Directs…

2021 Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Recreational For-Hire Season Announcement

This NOAA Fisheries Bulletin is provided as a courtesy:  WHAT/WHEN: The 2021 red snapper fishing season for vessels with federal for-hire reef fish permits is 63 days in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). The season for federally permitted for-hire vessels will begin at 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 1, 2021, and…

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee will Meet to Review Red Snapper Science

Meeting Notice March 17, 2021   The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a four-day webinar of its Standing, Reef Fish, and Socioeconomic Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSC). The meeting will be held March 30 – April 2, 2021.   Along with three external independent reviewers, the SSC will begin by hearing…

Gulf Council Coastal Migratory Pelagic Advisory Panel to Meet Virtually

Meeting Notice March 2, 2021   The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will host a meeting of its Coastal Migratory Advisory Panel (AP) via webinar. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, EDT. The panel will address the following:   Cobia: The AP will hear…

REMINDER: NOAA Fisheries Continues Weekly For-Hire Reporting Webinars with a Time Change

The following NOAA Fisheries Bulletin is provided as a courtesy: ISSUE DATE: February 26, 2021                                                                                 …

Multi-Day Trip Possession Limits Modified for Federally Permitted Charter/Headboat Vessels

KEY MESSAGE: Fishermen on a charter vessel or headboat who take a trip lasting more than one day, also known as a multi-day trip, can retain a second daily bag or vessel limit as long as they follow specific procedures. This final rule modifies the on-board multi-day possession limit of fish species so that a…