Black Grouper & Scamp Closures: Another Hit to Gulf Anglers Based on Bad Science

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) is set to take another swing at the recreational fishing community—this time, by targeting Black Grouper, Scamp, Yellowfin, and Yellowmouth Grouper. Despite stock assessments clearly showing that these species are not overfished and are not undergoing overfishing, the Council is considering significant catch limit reductions during its upcoming June 2025 meeting in Tampa.

Why? Once again, it’s all based on the same flawed system that brought us painful restrictions on gag grouper and red grouper: MRIP (Marine Recreational Information Program) data.

What’s Going On?

Two critical decisions are on the docket:

1. Catch Limit Modifications – how much to reduce your allowable take.

2. Recreational Season Changes – when you can and can’t fish for these species.

These changes are being pushed forward as “temporary actions” until a final ruling is made. But temporary or not, this is yet another example of NOAA scientists and the Gulf Council making high-impact decisions based on data that has been proven wildly inaccurate.

What’s Wrong With MRIP?

MRIP has come under heavy scrutiny in recent years, not just by fishermen, but by fisheries scientists and independent analysts. The recreational catch estimates provided by MRIP have shown error margins so large that they render the data nearly useless for nuanced stock assessments.

Recent studies, including analyses from the State Reef Fish Survey (SRFS) and independent Gulf states’ studies, have shown that MRIP often overestimates recreational landings by 200–300%. That means catch levels look way higher than they really are—leading federal managers to believe fish are in danger when they’re not.

MRIP assumes that survey data collected from a small sample size at public boat ramps can accurately reflect total harvest across an entire coast or region. It also completely fails to account for effort variability between private anglers, for-hire trips, and state-licensed charters that are managed separately. This results in numbers that just don’t add up in the real world—and yet, they’re still being used to shape federal policy.

A Call to Action

This isn’t just about one species—it’s about defending access to our fisheries against overregulation driven by bad data. The SSC (Scientific and Statistical Committee), composed of NOAA-affiliated scientists, is recommending catch limit reductions despite the best available science saying otherwise. And the Gulf Council is listening.

This is where you come in.

We don’t put out many calls to action—but this one matters. It takes two minutes to make your voice heard.

Submit your public comment today, and let the Gulf Council know that you support Alternative 1: NO ACTION on both proposed decisions.

Here’s the link:

Submit Your Comment Now

Copy & Paste This:

I am writing to submit public comment about the other SWG complex actions that are being voted upon in the June 2025 meeting. I am in favor of Alternative 1: NO ACTION for BOTH Action 1: catch limit modifications and Action 2: Recreational Season. The MRIP data used in this SEDAR has been proven time and time again to be patently incorrect. I propose that NO ACTION be taken until more accurate data such as the SRFS data can be used to make a more accurate determination of the recruitment and biomass levels of these species. The SWG complex is not undergoing overfishing nor has been overfished. We should not decrease catch limits based on faulty data. Thank you for your time.

Fishermen up and down the Gulf Coast (a long with the rest of the USA) are tired of being scapegoated for bad federal management. Our communities, charters, and local economies rely on fair access to these fisheries. Don’t let flawed MRIP data rob us of that.

Share this message. Get loud. Submit your comment. We fight this together—or we lose it alone.