VII. Vermilion Snapper

A. For recreational purposes:

1. It is unlawful to possess vermilion snapper (beeliner) less than 12 inches total length.
2. It is unlawful to possess more than five vermilion snapper per person per day.
3. It is unlawful to possess vermilion snapper (beeliner) taken from the waters under the jurisdiction of North Carolina or the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council from November 1 through March 31.

B. For commercial purposes:
It is unlawful to sell or offer for sale vermilion snapper taken from waters under the jurisdiction of North Carolina or the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. This closure will remain in effect through 12:01A.M. January 1, 2013.

VIII. Other Snapper

A. For commercial purposes:
Effective at 12:01 A.M. Saturday, September 8, 2012, it is unlawful to possess queen snapper, silk snapper, black snapper and blackfin snapper. This closure will remain in effect until 12:01 A.M. January 1, 2013.

B. For recreational purposes:

1.It is unlawful to possess silk snapper less than 12 inches total length.
2.It is unlawful to possess blackfin snapper less than 12 inches total length.

IX. Hogfish

A. For recreational purposes:

1. It is unlawful to possess more than five hogfish (hog snapper) per person per day without a valid Federal Commercial South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper permit.
2. It is unlawful to possess hogfish less than 12 inches fork length.

B. For commercial purposes:

1. It is unlawful to possess hogfish less than 12 inches fork length.
2. For a single day trip, it is unlawful to possess more than 150 pounds of hogfish per vessel, regardless of the number of persons onboard.
3. For trips of more than one day, it is unlawful to possess more than 100 pounds of hogfish per vessel, regardless of the number of persons onboard, for each additional day up to seven days. It is unlawful to possess more than 750 pounds of hogfish in seven days. Vessels targeting hogfish shall call in to Marine Patrol Communications at 800-682-2632 and report date of departure prior to leaving the dock.

X. Red Porgy

A. For recreational purposes:

1. It is unlawful to possess red porgy less than 14 inches total length.
2. It is unlawful to possess more than three red porgies per person per day without a valid Federal Commercial Snapper-Grouper permit.

B. For commercial purposes:

1. It is unlawful to possess red porgy less than 14 inches total length.
2. It is unlawful to sell or offer for sale or purchase red porgy from January 1 through April 30.
3. It is unlawful for a vessel with a valid Federal Commercial South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper permit to possess or land more than 120 individual red porgy per vessel per trip from May 1 through December 31.

XI. Wreckfish
For recreational purposes:

It is unlawful to possess more than one wreckfish per vessel per day.
It is unlawful to possess wreckfish except from July 1 through August 31 of each year.

XII. Combined Bag Limits

A. It is unlawful to possess more than five vermilion snapper and 10 other snappers per person per day without a valid Federal Commercial South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper permit.

B. It is unlawful to possess more than three grouper per person without a valid Federal Commercial South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper permit of which:

1. no more than one may be a gag or black grouper (individually or in combination) per person per day;
2. no more than three blueline tilefish or sand tilefish per person per day.

C. For commercial purposes, it is unlawful to possess blueline tilefish or sand tilefish. This closure is in effect until 12:01 A.M. January 1, 2013.

D. It is unlawful to possess speckled hind.

E. It is unlawful to possess warsaw grouper.

F. It is unlawful to possess more than one snowy grouper per vessel.

G. For commercial purposes, it is unlawful to possess or sell golden tilefish taken from the waters under the jurisdiction of North Carolina or the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council through December 31, 2012.

H. For recreational purposes, it is unlawful to possess golden tilefish taken from the waters under the jurisdiction of North Carolina or the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council through December 31, 2012.

I. It is unlawful to possess more than 20 fish in the aggregate per person per day of the following species without a valid Federal Commercial South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper permit: whitebone porgy, jolthead porgy, knobbed porgy, longspine porgy, scup, gray triggerfish, yellow jack, bar jack, almaco jack, lesser amberjack, banded rudderfish, white grunt, tomtate, margate and spadefish.

J. For commercial purposes, it is unlawful to possess jolthead, knobbed, saucereye and whitebone porgy and scup.
This closure is in effect until 12:01 A.M. January 1, 2013.

K. For commercial purposes, effective at 12:01A.M. Tuesday, September 11, 2012, it is unlawful to possess gray triggerfish. This closure will remain in effect until 12:01 A.M. January 1, 2013.

L. As an exception to XII.I. above, spadefish may be retained and sold in any number without a Federal Commercial South Atlantic Snapper Grouper Permit when taken for commercial purposes in coastal waters.

M. It is unlawful to possess any species of the Snapper-Grouper complex except snowy, yellowedge, and misty groupers; blueline and sand tilefishes; while having longline gear aboard a vessel during open harvest seasons.

N. It is unlawful to possess Nassau grouper or goliath grouper.

O. It is unlawful for persons in possession of a valid National Marine Fisheries Service Snapper-Grouper Permit for Charter Vessels to exceed the creel restrictions established in Sections (I), (IX) and (X) of this proclamation when fishing with more than three persons (including the captain and mate) on board.

P. It is unlawful to sell, offer for sale any species of the Snapper-Grouper complex harvested or possessed under the bag limits specified in 50 CFR Part §622.39 (d) unless the vessel owner has been issued a Federal Commercial South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper Permit.

Q. It is unlawful to purchase any species of the snapper grouper complex harvested in the Atlantic Ocean without a valid South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper Dealer Permit.

R. It is unlawful to purchase any species of the snapper grouper complex harvested in the Atlantic Ocean from a vessel without a valid South Atlantic Snapper Grouper Permit.