September Council Meeting Advances Measures on Commercial Management and Headboat Limits

Council Recognizes Law Enforcement and Longtime Service

The Council presented Awards of Excellence to both Trish Murphey and Jeff Buckel in recognition of their decades of service to the Council and Scientific and Statistical Committee, respectively. We commend them for their meticulous work and impactful contributions to fisheries management and science in the South Atlantic. The Council also recognized NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement Special Agent Kevin Mitchell as the 2025 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for his work investigating fisheries violations, protecting North Atlantic right whales, and engaging with fishermen and the public.

The Council received an extensive update on the Resilient Fisheries Initiative, which supports projects addressing management challenges associated with changing ecosystems. The Council received a presentation from Dr. Sarah Gaichas on the completed Ecosystem Information Review Project, which examined how regional fishery management councils use ecosystem information and identified opportunities to strengthen the use of ecological and socioeconomic indicators in South Atlantic fisheries management. The Council also received updates on collaborative workshops and governance efforts and provided direction for a Governance Workshop to be held in early 2027 in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and NMFS. The workshop will focus on improving management processes across Council regions, better documenting management and governance processes, and improving coordination among Councils and NMFS.

The Council continued work on Amendment 60, which is intended to improve long-term stability and profitability in the commercial snapper grouper fishery. The amendment would remove the current “2-for-1” requirement for transferable commercial snapper grouper permits, allow vessels to switch to or from bottom longline gear during a trip under specified conditions, and adjust trip limits for several species.

The Council reviewed public comments received during the public hearings as well as information on vessel monitoring systems and how gear changes could be communicated to law enforcement. The Council will continue working with the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel and plans to consider final approval at its December 2026 meeting.

The Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Unit (FMU) currently includes 55 species, many of which are unassessed or have low landings. Through Amendment 61, the Council is considering changes to the composition of the FMU to streamline management. Fourteen species are being evaluated to determine whether they should remain under federal management, be removed from the FMU, or be designated as Ecosystem Component (EC) species. For species considered for EC designation, the Council is exploring ways to maintain some management requirements to support data collection and prevent overexploitation. The Council will continue developing Amendment 61 and plans to consider approving it for public hearings in March 2027.

Headboat Vessel Limits

The Council continued development of Regulatory Amendment 38, which proposes a headboat-specific vessel limit of two gag or black grouper per six passengers. The measure is intended to improve efficiency and profitability for federally permitted headboats by allowing vessel limits to increase with the number of passengers onboard. The Council mostly focused on the criteria vessels would need to meet to qualify for the higher limit and settled on two requirements: a valid federal charter/headboat permit and a valid U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection (COI). The amendment also proposes updating golden tilefish catch levels based on the latest stock assessment. Public hearings on the headboat vessel limit amendment will be held this fall.

Spawning Special Management Zones

The Council approved Regulatory Amendment 39 for public hearings to consider extending protections in three Spawning Special Management Zones (SSMZs): South Cape Lookout, Georgetown/Devil’s Hole, and Warsaw Hole. The three areas currently have a sunset provision that would allow the fishing restrictions to expire in August 2027. The Council is examining options to extend the sunset provision for 10 years, through August 2037, allowing additional time for research and monitoring to evaluate the benefits of these areas for spawning fish and habitat. Public input will be collected through a webinar hearing as the amendment moves forward.