The Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council has again decided that a one-month closure of recreational grouper fishing in the Gulf for red, gag and black grouper is needed to protect red grouper stocks.

The vote took place on November 16 only two weeks after a federal judge ruled that fishery officials could not shut down all recreational grouper fishing during November and December of this year. The Council, made up of representatives from all five Gulf Coast states, voted 9 to 7 to approve the one-month closure for federal waters at a meeting in Ft. Walton Beach.

"It makes no sense," said Ted Forsgren, executive director of CCA Florida. "Again the Council has rejected the Florida Commission's recommendations and chosen management options that maximize economic damage to recreational interests. We will continue to fight these bad decisions."

Because of regulatory processes, it may not be possible for the February 15 to March 15 closure go into effect until 2007. In the meantime, there will be additional harvest data and new stock assessments in 2006 on red and gag grouper which may substantially change management options again.

Prior to the meeting and public hearing, the Gulf Council's chosen "Preferred Alternative" for a new Gulf grouper regulation would have prohibited recreational fishing for red, gag and black grouper from February 15 to March 15, reduced the five grouper aggregate bag limit to three, and allowed only one red grouper in the bag limit.

CCA Florida opposed the federal proposal and urged the Council to adopt the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) recommendation for red grouper which included no season closures while retaining the current five fish aggregate bag limit and reducing the red grouper limit to one.

The FWC, which relies on the same harvest data as the Gulf Council, has consistently felt that closed seasons for other species of grouper were unnecessary and has refused to adopt such measures for state waters.

The Gulf Council did choose to retain the five-fish aggregate bag limit for all Gulf grouper in federal waters, and included one red grouper within that limit when the season is open.

The reduction to one red grouper is expected to reduce the recreational red grouper harvest by 30 percent, however, even NMFS data indicates that the one-month closure will only add another 3 percent.

"That minimal increase is just not enough to justify $40 million in economic damage to the recreational fishery and Florida's economy," said Forsgren.