Gray Triggerfish, Yellowtail Snapper Closures in South Atlantic

The commercial harvest of the deepwater complex and the porgy complex will close, effective 12:01 a.m. (local time) September 8, 2012, through 12:01 a.m. January 1, 2013.

The commercial harvest of gray triggerfish and yellowtail snapper will close, effective 12:01 a.m. (local time) September 11, 2012, through 12:01 a.m. January 1, 2013.

Updated landings data indicate that commercial harvest of these species and species complexes will likely meet the respective annual catch limits established by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council-approved Snapper-Grouper Fishery Management Plan by these dates. As a result, commercial harvest will be closed in federal waters of the South Atlantic.

The operator of a vessel that has been issued a federal commercial permit for snapper-grouper and that is landing deepwater complex species and/or porgy complex species for sale must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such fish prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, September 8, 2012. The operator of a vessel that has been issued a federal commercial permit for snapper-grouper and that is landing gray triggerfish and/or yellowtail snapper for sale must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such fish prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, September 11, 2012.

During the closure, all harvest and possession of the deepwater complex species, gray triggerfish, porgy complex species, and yellowtail snapper in or from closed federal waters of the South Atlantic is subject to the applicable bag and possession limits, and the sale or purchase of fish taken from closed federal waters is prohibited. For a vessel for which a valid federal commercial or charter vessel/headboat permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper has been issued, bag and possession limits, and the prohibition on sale or purchase, apply in state and federal waters.