Regulatory Amendment 36 would change the vessel limit for the recreational sector for gag and black grouper. In March 2023, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) approved Amendment 53 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Snapper Grouper FMP), and its regulations were effective October 23, 2023. Amendment 53 established recreational vessel limits of two fish per vessel per day or per trip (private recreational and for-hire component, respectively) of gag and black grouper. The Council had intended for this to be an aggregate limit of two gag or black grouper per vessel, but the amendment contained a two-fish vessel limit for each species. Given the stock status of gag (overfished and experiencing overfishing) and the aggregate bag limit in place of one fish of either of these species per person, the Council decided in September 2023 to initiate development of Regulatory Amendment 36 to modify the aggregate vessel limits to two fish (gag or black grouper) per vessel.