The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) revealed that a new study showed more greater amberjack in the Gulf of America than federal stock assessments have indicated. The new data raises hopes that future management decisions could provide anglers with increased fishing opportunities.
The University of South Alabama’s (USA) Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences and a dozen research entities used new sampling gear and methods for the multi-year study. The independent study used underwater video, acoustic cameras, habitat mapping, reef sampling and tagging studies.
Greater amberjack is considered a reef fish, but it travels more than species such as the red snapper. They are in the northern Gulf for most of the summer, and researchers said they remain on a reef for up to 90 days at a time. In the latest study, tagging was important to identify separate stocks.
Dr. Sean Powers, with USA, said previous stock assessments suggested greater amberjack was over-fished for decades and that didn’t make sense to his team. He led the greater amberjack count and found roughly twice as many greater amberjack, 3.2 million, than the federal estimate of 1.5 million.
Federal assessments have led to increasingly restrictive regulations. Fishing seasons have become shorter and no recreational Gulf season has been established for 2026. However, the latest numbers closely match what anglers say they see on the water.
“In the Gulf, we’ve had shorter and shorter seasons, and the fishermen are asking why are we doing that because they are abundant,” Powers said. “Now there are some differences in the stocks in the Western Gulf, where they have really big amberjack, where ours are just above the legal limit (34 inches fork length).
“We hope our study will get reconciled with the stock assessment, because we don’t even have an amberjack season scheduled yet.”
The study was possible through a $5 million federal grant to NOAA Fisheries and a $5 million grant to the National Sea Grant College Program. ADCNR commissioner Chris Blankenship credited U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) for helping secure funding.
“Congressional support was needed to help us find out more about this species,” Blankenship said. “The information may lead to more access to amberjack for Alabama anglers and throughout the Gulf, which would be beneficial to coastal communities.”
Powers said he is working with NOAA Fisheries to come up with more accurate estimates going forward. He is hopeful the Gulf Council will find a solution to provide for a 2026 Gulf amberjack season.
“We went over the amount we were supposed to harvest last year, so the season has been delayed, and no season has been set,” he added. “We’re hoping the Gulf Council will reconsider it, especially when the fishermen are saying they are abundant. I think that’s what they’re going to look at under an emergency rule.”
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