Caribbean Queen Triggerfish Faces New Catch Limits Soon
Published Date: 10/2/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
Fishermen and seafood lovers around St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John, listen up! New rules are coming to adjust how many queen triggerfish can be caught each year to keep the fish population healthy and strong. These changes, based on fresh science, aim to stop overfishing and make sure there’s plenty of fish for the future—starting as soon as the rule is official.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
ACL Changes for St. Croix Fishery
If you fish commercially or recreationally in Federal waters around St. Croix, this proposed rule would modify the annual catch limits (ACLs) for queen triggerfish. The change is intended to update management reference points to prevent overfishing and achieve optimum yield and would take effect when the rule is finalized.
ACL Changes for St. Thomas & St. John
If you fish commercially or recreationally in Federal waters around St. Thomas and St. John, this proposed rule would modify the annual catch limits (ACLs) for queen triggerfish. The modification aims to update management reference points consistent with recent stock assessments to prevent overfishing and achieve optimum yield once the rule is finalized.
Conservation Goal to Prevent Overfishing
The rule's stated purpose is to update management reference points for queen triggerfish to prevent overfishing and achieve optimum yield, which is meant to keep the fish population healthy and support future availability. These conservation-focused changes apply to Federal waters around St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John when the rule becomes effective.
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