Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of America; 2026 Red Snapper Recreational For-Hire Fishing Season in the Gulf of America

NMFS announces the 2026 recreational fishing season for the Federal charter vessel/headboat (for-hire) component for red snapper in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of America (Gulf) through this temporary rule. The red snapper recreational for-hire component in the Gulf EEZ opens on June 1, 2026, and will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on October 26, 2026. This closure is necessary to prevent the Federal for-hire component from exceeding its quota and to prevent overfishing of the Gulf red snapper resource.