In the Gulf of Mexico, the overfished population of red snapper ("Lutjanus campechanus") is a major source of revenue resulting in a dichotomy between maintaining the health of the fishery and meeting the demands of the local economies. In order to govern marine fisheries the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 was created. This act has established a 200 mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around the United States coastline and 8 regional fishery management councils whose roles are to develop fishery management plans. With the involvement of the fishers, the councils work to protect fishery resources while managing the fishery in such a way as to produce optimum benefits for society. Therefore, according to regulation, any change in the economic status of the Gulf Coast or the health of the red snapper fishery must result in a regulation change to uphold this balance. In an attempt to improve understanding of the complexity of managing a fishery, this case study illustrates the roles of the various people involved in the extensive process of regulating this red snapper fishery. It introduces the complications that arise in this process through the perspectives of biologists, policymakers, and fishers at each step along the way. By necessity, to introduce the process in a manageable way, various steps, people, and complexities in the process are either reduced in importance or not introduced. All of the people introduced in this case study are fictional, but they are based on actual individuals within the process. (Contains 13 figures.)