NOAA Fisheries Service has determined that South Atlantic gag is undergoing overfishing and is approaching an overfished condition, and that South Atlantic vermilion snapper is also experiencing overfishing. NOAA has notified the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council of this determination by letter.

Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Council is required to take action within 1 year following official notification that overfishing is occurring, a stock is approaching overfishing, a stock is overfished, a stock is approaching an overfished condition, or existing remedial action taken to end overfishing or rebuild an overfished stock has not resulted in adequate progress.

The Council has begun development of Amendment 16 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan for the South Atlantic, and is currently accepting public input regarding ways to end overfishing of these two species.

For more information or to see the schedule for the remaining scheduled scoping meetings, please go to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Web site. Those wishing to submit comments can email them to SGAm16Scoping@safmc.net by September 17.