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The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council took action through Regulatory Amendment 22 to revise the annual catch limits and optimum yield for gag and wreckfish based on the Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee's recommendations for acceptable biological catch. The purpose of Regulatory Amendment 22 was to address the recent stock assessment results, and to prevent overfishing while minimizing, to the extent practicable, adverse social and economic effects. To ensure overfishing does not occur, the rule for Regulatory Amendment 22 set the total acceptable biological catch and optimum yield for gag equal to 95 percent of the Scientific and Statistical Committee's recommended acceptable biological catch, and the commercial quota was set below the annual catch limit to account for discard mortality. The commercial and recreational sector annual catch limits would initially decrease from 2014 levels but would gradually increase and exceed 2014 levels in 2018 as biomass increases. The rule for Regulatory Amendment 22 set the total annual catch limit and optimum yield equal to the Scientific and Statistical Committee's recommended acceptable biological catch. The commercial and recreational sector annual catch limits would initially increase from 2014 levels but would gradually decrease as biomass increases; however, annual catch limits would remain above 2014 levels through 2019.