Rule2023-19101
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Blueline Tilefish Fishery; 2023 Blueline Tilefish Commercial Quota Harvested
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 5, 2023
Effective
September 5, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
Federal commercial tilefish permit holders are prohibited from fishing for, catching, possessing, transferring or landing blueline tilefish in the Tilefish Management Unit for the remainder of the 2023 fishing year. This action is required when NMFS projects that 100 percent of the 2023 total allowable landings will be caught by the effective date. This action is intended to prevent over-harvest of blueline tilefish for the fishing year.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 170 (Tuesday, September 5, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 5, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 60597-60598]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19101]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 221026-0227]
RTID 0648-XD324
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Blueline Tilefish
Fishery; 2023 Blueline Tilefish Commercial Quota Harvested
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure of the blueline tilefish commercial
fishery.
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SUMMARY: Federal commercial tilefish permit holders are prohibited from
fishing for, catching, possessing, transferring or landing blueline
tilefish in the Tilefish Management Unit for the remainder of the 2023
fishing year. This action is required when NMFS projects that 100
percent of the 2023 total allowable landings will be caught by the
effective date. This action is intended to prevent over-harvest of
blueline tilefish for the fishing year.
DATES: Effective 0001 hr local time, September 5, 2023 through December
31, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Hansen, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9225.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations for the blueline tilefish
fishery are at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations at Sec.
648.295(b)(2)(ii) require that when NMFS projects that blueline
tilefish catch will reach 100 percent of the total allowable landings
(TAL), the Regional Administrator must close the commercial blueline
tilefish fishery for the remainder of the fishing year. No vessel may
retain or land blueline tilefish in or from the Tilefish Management
Unit after the announced closure date. NMFS monitors the blueline
tilefish fishery catch based on dealer reports, state data, and other
available information. NMFS must publish a notice in the Federal
Register notifying blueline tilefish vessel and dealer permit holders
of the closure date when 100 percent of the TAL is projected to be
landed.
The Regional Administrator has determined, based on dealer reports
and other available information, that the blueline tilefish commercial
fishery will catch 100 percent of the TAL by September 5, 2023.
Effective 0001 September 5, 2023, vessels may not retain or land
blueline tilefish in or from the Tilefish Management Unit through
December 31, 2023.
Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. This action is
required by 50 CFR part 648, which was issued pursuant to section
304(b), and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
NMFS finds good cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) and 5 U.S.C.
553(d)(3) to waive prior notice and the opportunity for public comment
and the delayed effectiveness period because it would be contrary to
the public interest and impracticable. Data and other information
indicating the blueline tilefish commercial fishery will have landed
100 percent of the TAL have only recently become available. Landings
data are updated by dealer reports dealers on a weekly basis, and NMFS
monitors data as catch increases toward the limit. This action is
routine and formulaic. The regulations at Sec. 648.295(b)(2)(ii)
require such action to ensure that blueline tilefish commercial vessels
do not exceed the 2023 TAL. If implementation of this action is
delayed, the TAL for the 2023 fishing year may be exceeded, thereby
undermining the conservation objectives of the Tilefish Fishery
Management Plan. Also, the public had prior notice and full opportunity
to comment on this process when the
[[Page 60598]]
provisions regarding closures and the 2023 quota levels were put in
place.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 30, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-19101 Filed 8-30-23; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 5, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.