In a move that should be no surprise to anyone, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted Feb. 8 to set the gag grouper open season for 2012. The state waters open season will be July 1 through Oct. 31 — the same as the open season in federal Gulf waters. The minimum size for commercially harvested fish was also lowered from 24 to 22 inches, a move intended to reduce dead discards (fish too small to legally keep but which die after release).

Gag grouper has been closed in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters since Nov. 16, 2011. State waters extend 9 miles from shore in the Gulf of Mexico.