Projected 2010 Quota Closure Date for Gulf of Mexico Recreational Greater Amberjack

Gulf of Mexico greater amberjack are managed under regulations and quotas established by the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council (Gulf Council) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Amendment 30A to the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan established annual catch limits and accountability measures for greater amberjack, modified the rebuilding plan, increased the recreational minimum size limit from 28 to 30 inches fork length, set a zero bag limit for captain and crew of for-hire vessels, and set commercial and recreational quotas. The quota for 2009 was set at 1.368 million pounds whole weight (mp ww). On October 24, 2009, NMFS closed the recreational sector after landings data from the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) indicated this quota had been exceeded in-season. Total recreational landings of greater amberjack in 2009 are estimated to have exceeded the quota by 9% despite the quota closure. The accountability measures for the recreational greater amberjack sector include a payback provision where the next year’s quota is reduced by the prior year’s quota overage. This analysis computes when the quota for 2010 will be met using prior year’s landings and preliminary landings estimates from Wave 1, 2010. 2010 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) SER (Southeast Region) Submitted https://doi.org/10.25923/3yxe-ny66 Public Domain 1930