The Gulf commercial season for greater amberjack shuts on 8 August and stays shut until January, on a quota that was already cut because last year's landings ran over

A Gulf boat that lands greater amberjack has three more days of a market for it. From 8 August the National Marine Fisheries Service closes the commercial season in Gulf federal waters, and it stays closed through 31 December.

The mechanism is automatic rather than discretionary. Under 50 CFR 622.41(a)(1)(i), the agency must close the commercial sector once it estimates that landings will reach the commercial annual catch target during the fishing year. It has projected that the target will be reached on 5 August.

The target it is about to hit was cut in February

The standing numbers for Gulf greater amberjack are a commercial annual catch limit of 101,000 lb and a commercial annual catch target, which is the same thing as the commercial quota, of 93,930 lb.

Neither is the number that closes the season. On 5 February the agency reduced the year's commercial harvest levels under the accountability measure at 50 CFR 622.41(a)(1)(ii), because commercial landings in 2025 had exceeded the commercial annual catch limit. For the rest of the 2026 fishing year the limit is 92,816 lb and the target is 85,746 lb, which is 8,184 lb less than the figure the regulations otherwise set. All of those weights are round weight.

What stops, and what does not

During the closure, sale or purchase of greater amberjack taken from Gulf federal waters is prohibited. Fish that were harvested, landed ashore and sold before the rule takes effect, and are held in cold storage by a dealer or processor, are outside the prohibition and may still change hands. Harvest reopens on 1 January 2027, the start of the next commercial season.

The agency waived prior notice and comment under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), on the grounds that the closure regulations have already been through notice and comment and all that remains is to tell people the closure has happened, and that waiting would risk landings running past the reduced target. It waived the 30-day delay in effectiveness for the same reasons. The document was filed for public inspection at 4:15 p.m. on 3 August and carries a publication date of 5 August, which is the day the projected target is reached.