NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on proposed changes to catch limits and a new seasonal closure for the Gulf’s other shallow-water grouper complex, a move aimed at reducing harvest and improving long-term sustainability.

The proposal would apply to scamp, yellowmouth grouper, black grouper and yellowfin grouper, which are managed together as a single complex because they are often caught in similar depths and during the same fishing trips.

Under the proposed rule, NOAA Fisheries would reduce the acceptable biological catch for the complex by 54.7% and set the annual catch limit at 322,000 pounds gutted weight. The commercial sector would be allocated 255,000 pounds, with a commercial annual catch target, or quota, of 245,000 pounds.

The proposal also calls for a fixed closed season for recreational harvest from Jan. 1 through June 30 each year, with the season reopening July 1 through Dec. 31.

Federal officials said the changes are based on recommendations from the Gulf Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee following recent stock assessments that found scamp and yellowmouth grouper populations are below historical levels and are being harvested at unsustainable rates.

The action is part of a broader effort tied to Amendment 58A to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf. Officials said the framework rule is intended as an interim step while more comprehensive measures under that amendment are developed.

Public comments on the proposed rule are open through April 17. The notice was published in the Federal Register as 91 FR 12989 on March 18. Comments may be submitted online at www.regulations.gov/document/NOAA-NMFS-2025-1065-0001 or by mail to NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701. Additional information is available by phone at (727) 824-5305.

Gulf Coast Media previously reported on a separate NOAA Fisheries proposal under Amendment 58B, which targets deep-water grouper such as yellowedge and snowy grouper. That plan would revise catch limits and management measures for those species, with public comments open through May 4.