Grouper in Morocco: closed in July and August — what we know about the ban

The dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) is the fish with more rules around it than any other in Moroccan spearfishing. The best known fits in one sentence: no grouper in July or August. Here is what we know about that closure, and what we do not.

Why July and August

They are its spawning months. The dusky grouper breeds in summer, from June to August, in small groups — one big male and several females — on the rock where they live. They are also the months when people hunt the most. The two together are enough to empty a spot for years.

Why every big grouper matters

A grouper starts life as a female and only becomes male late, at roughly 60 to 90 cm, around ten to fourteen years old. The big ones are the only males. Shooting a big grouper is not taking one fish: it is removing the breeder of a whole group.

It lives more than fifty years, grows slowly and does not flee: it backs into its hole or turns to face the diver. That is what makes it the easiest target on the coast, and the first fish to disappear from a hunted spot.

What Moroccan law says, and what it does not

• No minimum size. The dusky grouper does not appear in the 1988 size order. Its absence is not permission: it is a gap, and an inspector may read it differently from you.
• The summer closure is reported by everyone, with no text found.
• Its international status: listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, protected or under moratorium in several Mediterranean countries.

The detail, with sources, is on the Regulations page.

Recognising it, and not confusing it

The dusky grouper is massive and stocky, with a huge head, a wide mouth and a dark brown coat marbled with pale blotches. The goldblotch grouper is another grouper, slimmer and longer, grey-brown with darker oblique lines along the flank.

When in doubt, the rule is simple: a grouper you are not sure you have identified is a grouper you do not shoot. In July and August, you shoot none.

The other closures to know

• Octopus: closed during its biological rest periods, several times a year, on dates that change from one year to the next.
• Bluefin tuna: never, whatever its size.
• Spiny lobsters and lobsters carrying eggs: never.

The full list is in our guide to forbidden areas and species, and the sizes are in the legal sizes table.

In short

No grouper in July and August, to be confirmed with your delegation. No grouper at all if you follow our advice. The grouper you leave today is the one that will repopulate the spot.