Recreational grouper season in federal waters opens Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico, the Fishery Management Council said today.

The shallow-water grouper fishery for gag, black, red, yellowfin, scamp, yellowmouth, rock hind and red hind is closed annually from Feb. 1 to March 31 to help reduce overfishing and rebuild the population.

Recreational Grouper Season to Reopen April 1 The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional fishery management councils established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Council prepares fishery management plans designed to manage fishery resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.