The federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a closure for the recreational Greater Amberjack fishery because catch limits established by the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council have been met. The 2023 recreational season for the harvest of greater amberjack in the federal and state waters of the Gulf of Mexico will close at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 25, 2023, and will remain closed until Aug. 1, 2024.
Compatible season regulations in state waters are preferable to provide effective rules and efficient enforcement for the fishery and to prevent overfishing of the species in the long term.
During the closure, recreational harvest or possession of greater amberjack is prohibited in state and federal waters. According to NOAA, the closure is necessary to protect the greater amberjack resource. The greater amberjack population is considered overfished (the population is too low), and limiting harvest is necessary for the population to recover.
Louisiana’s recreational greater amberjack season was previously opened on Aug. 1, 2023. Action by the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council established new catch limits in order to prevent overfishing of greater amberjack.
