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Amendment 63 would establish a pilot commercial quota bank for red grouper in the Gulf of America (Gulf), which is managed under the Grouper-Tilefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. The IFQ program distributes allocation (pounds of fish) to participants who hold shares (a percentage of the commercial quota) at the beginning of each year. The Gulf Council initiated Amendment 63 to increase opportunities for fishermen who target Gulf red grouper. The amendment would modify the IFQ program to set aside a percentage of the Gulf red grouper commercial quota each year, for the 2027-2029 fishing years. The set aside portion of the quota would be used to increase opportunities for commercial fishermen who land red grouper and meet qualifying criteria developed by the Gulf Council. The Council document will be available for its November meeting. The measures considered in the amendment are consistent with the authority in section 303(b)(14) (other measures determined to be necessary and appropriate for the conservation and management of the fishery) and section 303A(c)(5)(C) (set-asides in limited access privilege programs) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).