NOAA and NMFS made it official as of today with the release of FB08-028.

“The commercial fishery for tilefishes in the Gulf of Mexico is closed, effective 12:01 a.m. (local time) May 10, 2008, through December 31, 2008. NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service has determined the 2008 commercial quota of 440,000 pounds of tilefishes will be reached by this date. During the closure period, no person aboard a vessel for which a commercial permit for reef fish has been issued may commercially fish for tilefishes in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico.”

Interestingly enough, they go on to say this:

“Closure of the commercial fishery for tilefishes in the Gulf of Mexico complies with regulations implementing the Fishery Management Plan for Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and is necessary to protect the Gulf reef fish resource.”

Yet there has NEVER been a Gulf reef fish stock assessment. On what grounds are they “protecting the Gulf reef fish resource” by arbitrarily closing down this valuable fishery that provides a viable alternative to what they continually claim is a severely overstressed grouper fishery ?

Full text of the Bulletin can be read here…