NOAA’s Red Grouper Reallocation Decision Has Industry Up in Arms and Businesses Worried
On Monday NOAA published Amendment 53, a new rule in the Federal Register regarding the reef fish fishery of the Gulf of Mexico. The final rule revises the annual catch limits (ACLs) and annual catch targets (ACTs) for both the commercial and recreational sectors, reallocating 20% of the commercial red grouper quota to the recreational sector, a 32% decrease from what would have been allocated without the amendment.
As the final rule notes, red grouper in the Gulf exclusive economic zone (EEZ) are found primarily in the...
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