The Edges seasonal closed area (Gulf of Mexico, off Florida)

A federal SEASONAL closure in the Gulf of Mexico EEZ between Steamboat Lumps and the Madison-Swanson area. Under 50 CFR 622.34(a)(3), from January through April each year "all fishing is prohibited" in the Edges and no fish species may be possessed except aboard a vessel in transit with gear stowed. Spearfishing is banned here for those four months only; outside January-April the area is open under the normal Gulf reef-fish rules. These are offshore federal waters, well beyond ordinary recreational diving depth.