The federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued an emergency season modification for the recreational Gag Grouper fishery, which closes the fishery at 12:01 a.m. on October 19. The Gag Grouper recreational season was originally scheduled to close on November 9, 2023. The fishery will remain closed until the gag grouper recreational fishery opens in 2024.
During the closure, recreational harvest or possession of Gag Grouper is prohibited in state and federal waters. According to NOAA, the closure is necessary to prevent overfishing of the Gag Grouper resource. The Gag Grouper population is considered overfished (the population is too low) and limiting harvest is necessary for the population to recover while the stock rebuilds.
For more information, contact Jason Adriance at (504) 284-2032 or jadriance @wlf.la.gov.