National Marine Fisheries Service
03/30/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/30/2026 07:01
Reminder of Seasonal Prohibition on Fishing for or Possession of Mutton and Lane Snapper in U.S. Caribbean Federal Waters
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What Is Happening and When:
- The seasonal closure on fishing for or possession of mutton and lane snapper in federal waters around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands begins on April 1, 2026, and extends through June 30, 2026.
- The prohibition on possession does not apply to mutton and lane snapper harvested and landed ashore prior to the closure.
Why This Closure Is Happening:
This seasonal closure protects mutton and lane snapper when they are spawning (reproducing) and therefore more vulnerable to fishing pressure.
Sign Up For Text Message Alerts - Find Out About Immediate Openings and Closures
NOAA's Text Message Alert Program allows you to receive important fishery-related alerts via text message. Standard message & data rates may apply. You may opt-out at any time. Text alerts you may receive include immediate fishery openings and closures and any significant changes to fishing regulations that happen quickly.
Sign up for one or more of the fisheries-related alerts below by texting the following to 888777:
- Gulf of America Recreational: Text GULFRECFISH
- Gulf of America Commercial: Text GULFCOMMFISH
- South Atlantic Recreational: Text SATLRECFISH
- South Atlantic Commercial: Text SATLCOMMFISH
- Caribbean: Text CARIBFISH
Quick Glance Contact List for the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office
Permits Mailbox: The Permits Office in St. Petersburg, Florida now has a Permits mailbox in the front lobby (263 13th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701). You can now drop off original permits for permit transfers. Envelopes with information labels will be provided so that your documents can be attached to the correct application. The mailbox will be checked daily. For more information, contact the Permits Office at 877-376-4877.
Other contacts:
Media: Allison Garrett, 727-551-5750
Recreational Fishing Coordinator: Sean Meehan, 727-385-5202
National Marine Fisheries Service published this content on March 30, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 30, 2026 at 13:01 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]