The Commission is considering changes to state regulations that would set the recreational harvest season for gag grouper all waters of Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, and Taylor counties, including Indian Pass, Apalachicola Bay, and the Steinhatchee River (Big Bend region) to be April 1 through June 30 and modify the recreational harvest season for gag grouper in all other state waters of the Gulf of Mexico, excluding Monroe County, to begin July 1 and end when the recreational harvest season in Gulf of Mexico federal waters ends. The purpose of this rule is to achieve consistency between the Commission’s gag grouper harvest season regulations in most state waters of the Gulf of Mexico and regulations in Gulf federal waters, while accommodating the economic and social needs of recreational harvesters in the Big Bend region of Florida. The effect of these rule amendments is to balance the economic and social needs of the Big Bend region with the conservation needs of gag grouper in the Gulf of Mexico. The April through June season for the Big Bend region will provide fishing opportunities for private recreational anglers when gag grouper are closer to shore and can be safely accessed by smaller boats. Overall fishing effort for gag grouper is low in these counties, because it is the least densely populated region of Florida’s Gulf Coast, so this season is not expected to disrupt rebuilding of the Gulf gag grouper stock. In the remainder of Gulf state waters, excluding Monroe County, the proposed season would match the season in adjacent federal waters, which will allow federal and state rules to be consistently applied in these areas, and provide the maximum number of recreational fishing days for gag grouper in EEZ and adjacent state waters allowed under the federal rebuilding plan for this species.