Rule2025-04930
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; 2025-2026 Recreational Fishing Season for Black Sea Bass
Primary source
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Published
March 24, 2025
Effective
April 23, 2025
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 2025-2026 recreational fishing year. Announcing the length of the 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 90 Issue 55 (Monday, March 24, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 55 (Monday, March 24, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 13426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04930]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 130403320-4891-02; RTID 0648-XE740]
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; 2025-2026 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
2025-2026 recreational fishing year. Announcing the length of the
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 23, 2025, through
March 31, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Vara, NMFS Southeast Regional
Office, telephone: 727-824-5305, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6e030f1c1740180f1c0f2e00010f0f40090118"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="056864777c2b73647764456b6a64642b626a73">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery
includes black sea bass south of 35[deg]15.19' N latitude, which is 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, the FMP was approved by the Secretary of
Commerce, and NMFS implements the FMP through regulations at 50 CFR
part 622 under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). Black 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 2025-2026
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 2025-2026 fishing year will be less than the 2025-2026 recreational
ACL. To make this determination, NMFS compared recreational landings of
black sea bass in the last 3 fishing years with available data (2021-
2022 through 2023-2024) to the recreational ACL for the 2025-2026
fishing year. Recreational landings in each of these past 3 fishing
years have been less than the 2025-2026 recreational ACL, and NMFS
expects similar landings for the 2025-2026 fishing season. Therefore,
because NMFS projects that the recreational landings of black sea bass
will be less than the 2025-2026 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, 2026.
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 17, 2025.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-04930 Filed 3-21-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on March 24, 2025.
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