New criteria introduced for Gulf of Mexico reef fish and red drum management

NOAA Fisheries has approved new criteria to inform Gulf of Mexico reef fish and red drum management.

In March 2022, NOAA Fisheries and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council recommended changes in the fisheries management plans for both reef fish and red drum in the Gulf of Mexico – Amendment 48 to the fishery management plan for reef fish resources in the Gulf of Mexico and Amendment 5 to the management plan for the red drum fishery of the Gulf of Mexico.

Both fishery management plans are reviewed annually with the goal of establishing or modifying maximum sustainable yield and limiting overfishing.

The public comment period on the changes was open until 9 May, 2022, and comments from the public were taken into account in the modifications made to both amendments, NOAA said.

The list of species affected by the changes made include cubera snapper, lane snapper, mutton snapper, yellowtail snapper, hogfish, black grouper, goliath grouper, shallow-water grouper complex, the deep-water grouper complex, tilefish complex, jacks complex, and mid-water snapper complex.

The full details of the changes made to the fisheries can be found in Volume 87, Number 110 of the Federal Register, published 8 June, 2022.

Reporting by Jose Artunes   

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