A pair of Florida fishermen is challenging severe government-imposed limits on how much fish they can catch in the Gulf of America by going after the legality of the council that implemented the 2024 rule change.Fishermen Dominick and James Russo filed a lawsuit in 2024 alleging that Amendment 56, which reduced the commercial catch limit for gag grouper in the Gulf of America by more than 85%, was implemented by a panel unconstitutionally wielding power from the executive branch. The amendment was approved by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, which includes members who cannot be removed by the president, and then was given final approval by the assistant administrator for fisheries, who serves in the Department of Commerce and can be removed by the president. The fishermen have alleged the severe limitations have significantly hurt their business, saying the fish is highly sought after by high-end restaurants.A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit heard arguments in the case on Thursday, where the judges grappled with whether the amendment should be viewed as void because it was penned by the council. Lawyers from the Pacific Legal Foundation, representing the two fishermen, argued the “structural defects” in the rulemaking process should make Amendment 56 void.