CARES Act Information
The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) is working collaboratively with NOAA Fisheries to distribute the funds appropriated by Congress for various fishery disasters.
The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission was established by an act of Congress (P.L. 81-66) in 1949 as a compact of the five Gulf States. Its charge is:
"to promote better utilization of the fisheries, marine, shell and anadromous, of the seaboard of the Gulf of Mexico, by the development of a joint program for the promotion and protection of such fisheries and the prevention of the physical waste of the fisheries from any cause."
Request for Proposals
Human Dimensions Survey RFP
November 6, 2020 - The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) is requesting
proposals for the human dimensions component of the “Reduction of Post-release Mortality from Barotrauma
in Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fisheries” project. The maximum contract amount will be $200,000 over a
three-year period. Proposals are requested that seek to develop and administer a reef fish angler survey
and determine effectiveness of project outreach and education programming. All proposals must be submitted
by 5:00 p.m. CST on January 15, 2021.
Latest Publications
Seventieth Annual Report 2019
The Commission publishes a comprehensive review of the activities in the Gulf of Mexico related to the management of marine fisheries each year. The report includes specifics on Commission programs as well as those of our regional state partners, National Marine Fisheries Service, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
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A Practical Handbook for Determining the Ages of Gulf of Mexico Fishes, Third Edition
A Practical Handbook for Determining the Ages of Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast Fishes - Third Edition includes contributions from many more agencies and universities from the Gulf region as well as the Atlantic. A number of techniques and species are described beyond the original scope of the First and Second Editions of the manual. We have tried to provide information on all the various techniques that have proven to be useful or unsuccessful for each of the species covered and ensured that validation is included wherever possible. It is hoped that the wide variety of species will allow anyone interested in exploring the ageing of fish species new to them or their agency to find common techniques and accounts which will shorten the time required to pursue something that can be a trial and error process. The most widely used methodologies and approaches are included in each species account but additional methods and details can be found in the appendices.
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Minutes from 2019
The minutes of the meetings and activities supported by the Commission are published upon their approval by their respective committees. These minutes reflect the variety of topics and actions taken during the process of conducting each committee's business in support of marine fisheries management in the Gulf.
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Annual Report to the Technical Coordinating Committee, Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission
SEAMAP Subcommittee Report to the GSMFC Technical Coordinating Committee - October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020. A detailed summary of FY2019 program accomplishments, emphasizing survey design, material collected data dissemination, budget information, and future survey activities
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Licenses & Fees for Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in Their Marine Waters for the Year 2019
License and Fees is the annual summary of all the saltwater fishing related licenses sold and the revenues generated in the previous year throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Also included are the annual USFWS’s Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration funds and the Interjurisdictional Fisheries funds as apportioned by state. Lastly, it provides a comparison of the annual license revenues by state.
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Fisheries Information Network
A cooperative program for the collection, management, and dissemination of statistical
data and information on the Gulf Region's commercial and recreational fisheries.
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Interjurisdictional Fisheries Program
Designed to develop management plans for transboundary stocks that migrate freely through state and
federal jurisdictions.
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Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program
A state/federal/university program for the collection, management and dissemination of
fishery-independent data and information in the southeastern United States.
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Sport Fish Restoration Administrative Program
Designed to provide coordination of the recreational fisheries programs in the five gulf states.
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Fisheries Disaster Recovery Program
Aimed at improving the public perception and confidence in Gulf of Mexico seafood following the 2010
Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.
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