Rule2024-06525
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; 2024-2025 Recreational Fishing Season for Black Sea Bass
Primary source
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Published
March 27, 2024
Effective
April 26, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS announces that the recreational fishing season for black sea bass in South Atlantic Federal waters will extend throughout the species' 2024-2025 fishing year. Announcing the length of recreational fishing season for black sea bass is one of the accountability measures (AMs) for the recreational sector. This announcement allows recreational fishers to maximize their opportunity to harvest the recreational annual catch limit (ACL) for black sea bass while NMFS manages harvest to protect the black sea bass resource.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 60 (Wednesday, March 27, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 27, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 21213-21214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06525]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 130403320-4891-02; RTID 0648-XD749]
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; 2024-2025 Recreational
Fishing Season for Black Sea Bass
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; recreational fishing season.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the recreational fishing season for black
sea bass in South Atlantic Federal waters will extend throughout the
species' 2024-2025 fishing year. Announcing the length of recreational
fishing season for black sea bass is one of the accountability measures
(AMs) for the recreational sector. This announcement allows
recreational fishers to maximize their opportunity to harvest the
recreational annual catch limit (ACL) for black sea bass while NMFS
manages harvest to protect the black sea bass resource.
DATES: This temporary rule is effective from April 26, 2024, through
March 31, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nikhil Mehta, NMFS Southeast Regional
Office, telephone: 727-824-5305, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4927202221202567242c213d280927262828672e263f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2d43444645444103404845594c6d43424c4c034a425b">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery
includes black sea bass south of 35[deg]15.19' N latitude, due east of
Cape Hatteras Light, North Carolina, and is managed under the Fishery
Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic
Region (FMP). The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and NMFS
prepared the FMP, and NMFS implements the FMP under the authority of
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act) by regulations at 50 CFR part 622. Black
[[Page 21214]]
sea bass is not managed by the FMP or regulated by 50 CFR part 622
north of 35[deg]15.19' N latitude in South Atlantic Federal waters, the
latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, North Carolina; black sea bass north
of 35[deg]15.19' N latitude is regulated by 50 CFR part 648.
The recreational fishing year for black sea bass is April 1 through
March 31. One of the recreational AMs for black sea bass requires that
before the April 1 start date of each recreational fishing year, NMFS
will project the length of the recreational fishing season based on
when NMFS projects recreational landings of black sea bass will reach
its ACL, and announce the recreational season end date in the Federal
Register [50 CFR 622.193(e)(2)]. The purpose of this AM is to allow
recreational fishermen to maximize their opportunities to harvest the
recreational ACL through a more predictable recreational season while
NMFS manages harvest within the recreational ACL to protect the stock
from experiencing adverse biological consequences.
The recreational ACL for black sea bass during the 2024-2025
fishing year is 310,602 pounds (lb) or 140,887 kilograms (kg) in gutted
weight, or 366,510 lb (166,246 kg) in round weight [50 CFR
622.193(e)(2)].
NMFS estimates that recreational landings of black sea bass during
the 2024-2025 fishing year will be less than the 2024-2025 recreational
ACL. To make this determination, NMFS compared recreational landings of
black sea bass in the last 3 fishing years with available data (2020-
2021 through 2022-2023) to the recreational ACL for the 2024-2025
fishing year. Recreational landings in each of these past 3 fishing
years have been less than the 2024-2025 recreational ACL, and NMFS
expects similar landings for the 2024-2025 fishing season. Therefore,
because NMFS projects that the recreational landings of black sea bass
will be less than the 2024-2025 recreational ACL, NMFS does not expect
to close the recreational harvest of black sea bass during the fishing
year. Accordingly, the season end date for the recreational harvest of
black sea bass in South Atlantic Federal waters is March 31, 2025.
Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 622.193(e)(2), issued
pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempt from review under Executive
Order 12866.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior
notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice
and comment is unnecessary. Such procedures are unnecessary because the
rule establishing the recreational AM has already been subject to
notice and comment, and all that remains is for NMFS to notify the
public of the recreational season length.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 22, 2024.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-06525 Filed 3-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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