The Gulf Council finished its October 27-29 2026 gathering in Galveston Texas by adopting yearly committee posts and several fishery measures. It approved a joint plan with the South Atlantic Council that revises mutton snapper and yellowtail snapper rules after 2023 assessments showed healthy stocks, assigning 15 percent of mutton and 17 percent of yellowtail annual catch limits to the Gulf with no closures anticipated.

The body also changed private recreational red snapper overage rules for greater state flexibility, postponed two red snapper for-hire delegation amendments pending a new assessment, and started hogfish catch updates using Florida survey numbers. Additional steps included forming a shrimp permit review panel, advancing shrimp stock criteria from recent assessments, and endorsing a research permit for spawning aggregation work.