Deep-water Grouper Complex
September 2025:
The deep-water grouper complex is comprised of warsaw grouper, snowy grouper, yellowedge grouper, and speckled hind and is managed with a single annual catch limit for the complex. After hearing a summary of public comments received, the Council took final action on Reef Fish Amendment 58B which considers deep-water grouper status determination criteria, catch limits, sector allocations, and recreational accountability measures. The Council chose to modify the criteria used to define the stock status for the complex. The Council also established catch limits for the complex that represent approximately a 50% reduction in allowable harvest to end overfishing of yellowedge grouper and chose to establish sector allocations and sector-specific annual catch limits.
This allocates 10.21% to the recreational sector and 89.79% to the commercial sector and recognizes increasing recreational landings in recent years. The Council created a recreational accountability measure that triggers a reduction in the recreational season duration if average recreational landings exceed the average recreational annual catch limit, and the average total complex landings exceed the average total complex annual catch limit, over a 3-year period. This new recreational accountability measure is expected to correct for consistent overages of the recreational annual catch limit without being overly sensitive to most single-year overages. Newly recommended deep-water grouper catch limits expressed in pounds gutted weight and in MRIP-FES units are:
Overfishing Limit: 731,035 pounds
Acceptable Biological Catch/Stock Annual Catch Limit: 555,026 pounds
Recreational Annual Catch Limit: 56,668 pounds
Commercial Annual Catch Limit: 498,358 pounds
Commercial Quota: 478,424
These changes are being made in response to the results of a yellowedge grouper stock assessment and recommendations to decrease allowable harvest and end overfishing from the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). Establishing sector allocations and modifying the recreational accountability measure are expected to prevent overfishing in the future. This Amendment will be transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce for consideration and implementation as soon as practicable.
The Council also asked that a presentation exploring the use of a mandatory reporting system for recreational deep-water grouper be given to the Council during a future meeting. Recreational deep-water grouper landings estimates are very uncertain, and a mandatory reporting system is being considered as a mechanism for improving estimates that inform management decisions.
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The deep-water grouper complex consists of the Warsaw Grouper, Snowy Grouper, Yellowedge Grouper, and Speckled Hind (Kitty Mitchel), and is currently managed with a single ACL for the complex. The most recent stock assessment on Yellowedge grouper (SEDAR 85) determined that while Yellowedge is not overfished, it is experiencing overfishing. Based on the stock assessment results, which indicated low recent recruitment and increased recreational harvest, the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) recommended an overall decrease in the allowable harvest to end overfishing. While Yellowedge is the most landed species in the deep-water grouper complex, it is frequently caught with the other deep-water grouper species. Thus, the SSC also recommended updated catch limits based on average historical landings for the other three deep-grouper species in the complex, and that the catch limits for those species and Yellowedge Grouper be combined. Especially since barotrauma is 100% on these species since they come from such depths.
The Council reviewed options for Reef Fish Amendment 58B, which considers modifying deep-water grouper management measures and selected a preferred alternative that would establish catch limits for the complex based on the SSC’s recommendations. This would result in an ACL of 555,026 pounds, which represents approximately a 50% reduction in allowable harvest. The Council waited to select a preferred alternative for sector allocations. The Council also narrowed the options for modifying accountability measures and selected a preferred alternative that will trigger a recreational season reduction if average recreational landings exceed the recreational and total complex annual catch limit over a 3-year period. The Council plans to review a public hearing draft of this document during its June meeting and will gather public input before taking final action as soon as August.
(Written: April 2025)
