The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has adopted new regulations designed to curtail overfishing and restore Gulf red grouper. Included in the new measures is a prohibition on the use of commercial longlines out to a depth of 50 fathoms which essentially would prohibit the gear in the red, gag and black grouper fisheries.

"The longline prohibition is a critical and necessary element of the red grouper recovery plan," said Ted Forsgren, CCA Florida Executive Director. "You simply cannot restore the resource and sustain viable recreational and commercial fisheries with longline gear in the fishery."

Gulf stocks of red grouper have been designated as "overfished" and federal agencies are under a legal mandate to stop overfishing and restore depleted grouper stocks. On average, the commercial fishery takes 75 percent of the Gulf red grouper landings, with some years as high as 87 percent. Commercial longlines take 66 percent of the commercial landings.

Longline boats stay out multiple days setting many miles of baited hooks and lines. The gear is capable of applying intense fishing effort and getting large catches even on declining stocks of fish. The longline fleet has been targeting red grouper in federal waters off of Florida's west coast. Bottom longlines had already been prohibited out to 50 fathoms in all other areas of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic from Texas to North Carolina.

"The Gulf's red grouper stocks have been hammered into an overfished condition by the fleet of longline boats, not by hook and line fishermen," said Forsgren.

According to CCA, the strong position of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in support of the 50 fathom longline prohibition had a major impact on the Council's actions. Red grouper is almost entirely a Florida fishery with 99 percent of all Gulf red grouper caught off of and landed in Florida.

The Gulf Council heard more than a full day of public comments from commercial hook and line fishermen, recreational anglers, charter boat captains, longliners and divers. After public comments and Council debate, the members voted 13-3 to adopt a comprehensive set of new regulations to restore the Gulf red grouper fishery. The new measures include:

· A prohibition on the use of bottom longlines out to 50 fathoms;

· Establishing a new, reduced commercial quota for shallow water groupers (red, gag and blacks) at 45 percent of current quota;

· Reducing recreational bag limit on red grouper to only two fish within the current 5 grouper aggregate limit; and,

· Increasing the minimum size limit from 20 to 22 inches for both recreational and commercial fishers.

The Gulf Council's actions will now be submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for incorporation into a final Secretarial Amendment to federal reef fish management plans. Final action and implementation of regulations by the NMFS could occur by the end of this year.