NOAA Fisheries is proposing to extend a nearly 20-year moratorium on new federal commercial shrimp permits in the Gulf of America, as the agency weighs another 10 years of restrictions aimed at maintaining stability in the fishery.
The current moratorium, which prevents the issuance of new federal Gulf shrimp vessel permits, is scheduled to expire Oct. 26. According to reporting from SeafoodSource, NOAA Fisheries is considering extending the program for another decade, while also seeking input on a shorter five-year extension.
The moratorium dates to 2006, when regulators moved to limit participation in the Gulf shrimp fishery amid concerns that too many vessels were competing in an industry already facing rising fuel costs and pressure from lower-priced imported shrimp.
At the time, more than 4,000 commercial shrimp vessels operated in the Gulf fishery. By 2008, the federal government had issued 1,933 vessel permits.
Participation has continued to decline since then. NOAA issued 1,287 Gulf shrimp vessel permits in 2024, 646 fewer than in 2008. Those permits have been permanently removed from availability.
The Gulf of America Fishery Management Council recommended another 10-year extension in November 2025, concluding that maintaining the moratorium would continue providing economic, social, and biological benefits to the fishery.
“The 10-year extension is expected to maintain biological, social, and economic benefits currently achieved under the moratorium while also promoting stability and efficiency in the fishery,” the council stated.
NOAA agreed that continuing the moratorium would benefit the fishery but is also considering a five-year alternative that would require regulators to revisit the issue sooner.
According to the agency, a shorter extension could allow the council and NOAA Fisheries to reconsider the need for the moratorium after the council completes a reevaluation of the current minimum shrimp permit threshold. The agency also noted that the moratorium could be eliminated before its expiration through a new fishery management plan amendment and rulemaking.
The permit restrictions come as the domestic shrimp industry continues to contend with economic pressure from operating costs and imported shrimp, even as the number of federally permitted Gulf vessels has fallen substantially over the past two decades.
NOAA Fisheries is accepting public comments on the proposed extension through Sept. 24.
