Rule2024-22033
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Blueline Tilefish Fishery; 2024 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 25, 2024
Effective
September 23, 2024
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 2024 fishing year. This action is required because NMFS has determined that 100 percent of the 2024 total allowable landings have been caught. 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 89 Issue 186 (Wednesday, September 25, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 25, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 78258-78259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22033]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 240315-0081; RTID 0648-XE321]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Blueline Tilefish
Fishery; 2024 Blueline Tilefish Commercial Quota Harvested
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
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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 2024
fishing year. This action is required because NMFS has determined that
100 percent of the 2024 total allowable landings have been caught. This
action is intended to prevent over-harvest of blueline tilefish for the
fishing year.
DATES: Effective September 23, 2024, through December 31, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Potts, Fishery Policy Analyst,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b9ddd6ccded5d8ca97c9d6cdcdcaf9d7d6d8d897ded6cf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9bfff4eefcf7fae8b5ebf4efefe8dbf5f4fafab5fcf4ed">[email protected]</span></a>, 978-281-9241.
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 has caught 100 percent of the TAL. Effective September 23, 2024
vessels may not retain or land blueline tilefish in or from the
Tilefish Management Unit through December 31, 2024.
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 has 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 2024 TAL. If implementation of this action is
[[Page 78259]]
delayed, the Annual Catch Limit for the 2024 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 provisions
regarding closures and the 2024 quota levels were put in place.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 20, 2024.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-22033 Filed 9-23-24; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 25, 2024.
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.