The commercial harvest for greater amberjack in South Atlantic waters will close, at 12:01 a.m. (local time) January 21, 2016, and will reopen at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on March 1, 2016. The 2016 commercial quota for greater amberjack is 769,388 pounds gutted weight. Updated landings data indicate the commercial quota will be met by January 21, 2016.
The operator of a vessel that has been issued a federal commercial permit for snapper-grouper and is landing greater amberjack for sale must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such greater amberjack prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, January 21, 2016.
During the commercial closure, sale or purchase of greater amberjack is prohibited.
The closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels, which have a federal commercial permit for South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper.
Harvest or possession of greater amberjack is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits.
The prohibition on sale or purchase does not apply to the sale or purchase of greater amberjack that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, January 21, 2016, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
This closure is necessary to protect the snapper- grouper resource.