Recreational harvest of red grouper to close Aug. 30 in Gulf state waters - to reopen Jan. 1, 2023 (corrected date)
Sketch of red grouper courtesy of NOAA..
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is closing the recreational harvest of red grouper in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico - excluding the waters of Monroe County, Florida - on August 30, 2022 for the remainder of the 2022 fishing season. Harvest will reopen on January 1, 2023 (CORRECTED reopening date; the FWC initially stated the date as January 31, 2023, which is incorrect).
This closure is consistent with the closure in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA's) National Marine Fisheries Service. The recreational red grouper fishery was closed in federal waters because landings information indicates that the 2022 recreational quota is projected to be met on August 29, 2022. Red grouper is primarily a Florida fishery, and consistent open/closed seasons in state and federal waters off Florida is important to prevent overfishing and continue to improve stock abundance.
For more on these regulations, visit myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/groupers
or download the Fish Rules App at FishRulesApp.com or Facebook.com/FishRulesApp.