At its July meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued an executive order to close recreational harvest of greater amberjack in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The 2023 recreational season for greater amberjack in Gulf state waters will be open Aug. 1 through Aug. 25, consistent with the Gulf federal season.

Consistent state and federal recreational seasons for greater amberjack would help prevent quota overages and mitigate risks of future paybacks and early closures. 

The Gulf greater amberjack stock is overfished and experiencing overfishing and is currently under a new rebuilding plan. The new rebuilding plan includes a large reduction in harvest to end overfishing and rebuild the stock by 2027.

For more information about Commission Meetings, including the July 2023 Commission meeting presentation, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and click on “Commission Meetings.”

For current recreational amberjack regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Recreational Regulations” and “Amberjack.” This page will be updated with the new season dates.