Commercial harvest will reopen at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on July 1, 2013. The 2013 January - June commercial catch limit is 315,523 pounds gutted weight. Reports indicate the catch limit will be met by February 13, 2013.
The operator of a vessel that has been issued a federal commercial permit for snapper-grouper and that is landing vermilion snapper for sale must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such vermilion snapper prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, February 13, 2013. The prohibition on sale does not apply to sale or purchase of vermilion snapper that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m. (local time) February 13, 2013, and held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
During the closure:
- Harvest or possession of vermilion snapper is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits.
- Sale and purchase of vermilion snapper is prohibited.
- The closure applies in both state and federal waters.
- The bag limit is zero for captain and crew on charter vessels and headboats.
This closure is necessary to protect the snapper-grouper resource.
