Commercial harvest will reopen at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on January 1, 2015. The 2014 hook-and-line component commercial catch limit is 135,324 pounds gutted weight. Reports indicate the hook-and-line catch limit will be met by August 29, 2014.
The operator of a vessel that has been issued a federal commercial permit for snapper-grouper and is landing golden tilefish for sale must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such golden tilefish prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, August 29, 2014.
- The longline component closed on March 5, 2014, and recreational harvest of golden tilefish was prohibited on June 7, 2014; therefore, all commercial and recreational harvest of golden tilefish is closed for the remainder of 2014.
- During the commercial closure, sale and purchase of golden tilefish is prohibited.
- The commercial and recreational closures apply in both state and federal waters for vessels which have a federal commercial or charter vessel/headboat permit for South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper.
This closure is necessary to protect the snapper-grouper resource.
