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The Gulf Council met in Biloxi, Mississippi, from November 3-6, 2025. The Council began by adopting Council Committee assignments for the year.
Venting Tools and Descending Devices: The Gulf Council took final action to require commercial and recreational fishermen to possess a venting tool or descending device that is rigged and ready for use when fishing for reef fish in the federal waters of the Gulf of America. These requirements will replace regulations required by the DESCEND Act, which is scheduled to expire in January 2026. The use of descending devices or venting tools reduces release mortality of many reef fish, resulting in increased conservation and sustainability of reef fish stocks. This Amendment will be transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce for consideration and implementation as soon as practicable.
Essential Fish Habitat: Essential fish habitat (EFH) is the waters and substrate necessary for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth of species throughout their life. The Council is required to conduct periodic reviews of EFH for the species it manages based on the best scientific information available. The Council selected a preferred alternative that would update descriptions and maps of EFH using contemporary research documented in the literature. The Council plans to finalize this EFH review as soon as practicable.
Shallow-Water Grouper: The Other Shallow-Water Grouper complex includes scamp, yellowmouth grouper, yellowfin grouper, and black grouper. The complex can no longer be managed in this way because a stock assessment and catch recommendations were completed for scamp and yellowmouth grouper separate from the remaining species. Catch limit recommendations for scamp and yellowmouth grouper represent a considerable decrease in allowable harvest, while catch limit recommendations for black grouper and yellowfin grouper remain unchanged. The Council reviewed Amendment 58A and selected preferred alternatives for actions that did not have one and retained the preferred alternatives for the remaining actions from the previous meeting. The preferred alternatives would transition the existing shallow-water grouper complex into two new complexes (scamp and yellowmouth grouper, and black grouper and yellowfin grouper) and set biological reference points and status determination criteria, catch limits, and sector allocations for both complexes. Commercial individual fishing quota program shares would be distributed proportionally based on existing other shallow-water grouper share percentages. Preferred alternatives would also establish a recreational closed season for scamp and yellowmouth grouper from January through June and set the recreational annual catch target 14% below the annual catch limit. For black grouper and yellowfin grouper, the Council selected a preferred alternative that would establish a post-season recreational accountability measure which would be implemented if the previous year’s harvest exceeds both the recreational annual catch limit and the complex annual catch limit. The Council plans to gather public comment on proposed shallow-water grouper changes before taking final action during its January 2026 meeting.
Read the entire press release here.
Application Deadline: Wednesday, December 31, 2025 (or until filled)
The Gulf Council is currently accepting applications to fill a Fisheries Outreach Specialist position. The Fisheries Outreach Specialist will be responsible for engaging with fishermen, stakeholders, and the broader public to communicate complex fishery management issues and promote meaningful participation in the Council process. The Fisheries Outreach Specialist will lead the development of assigned outreach and education materials and manage various databases to ensure accuracy of commercial and recreational fishing regulations. The Fisheries Outreach Specialist will support the Public Information Officer and work with Council staff and a wide range of state and federal professionals, academic partners, and stakeholders.
SOURCE: Gulf Council
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