Gulf grouper sport season closes Feb. 1
News Release
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Media contact: Lee Schlesinger, 850-487-0554
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission advises anglers that the recreational harvest of all
shallow-water groupers (gag, black, red, yellowfin, scamp,
yellowmouth, rock hind and red hind) is prohibited from Feb. 1
through March 31 in all Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters off
Florida, except in all waters of Monroe County.
Closing the recreational harvest of all Gulf
shallow-water grouper species for two months during the spawning
season is designed to reduce overfishing of Gulf gag grouper by
limiting the unintended catch and possible mortality of gag grouper
to help rebuild its populations and achieve larger annual harvests
in the future for this important species. Recreational gag
grouper fishing has been closed in Gulf federal waters since Jan.
1.
More information regarding grouper fishing
regulations, including the current shallow-water grouper closure in
Atlantic and Monroe County waters, is available online at
MyFWC.com/Fishing (click on "Saltwater - Regulations").
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