Rule2025-11725
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Mid-Atlantic Blueline Tilefish and Golden Tilefish Fisheries; Final 2025-2027 Golden Tilefish Specifications and 2025 Blueline Tilefish Specifications
Primary source
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Published
June 26, 2025
Effective
June 26, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
This final rule implements and informs the public of specifications for the 2025 fishing year for the golden tilefish and the blueline tilefish fishery north of the North Carolina/Virginia border and projects specifications for golden tilefish in 2026 and 2027. This action is necessary to establish allowable harvest levels and other management measures to prevent overfishing while allowing optimum yield, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and the Tilefish Fishery Management Plan (Tilefish FMP).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 121 (Thursday, June 26, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 121 (Thursday, June 26, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 27257-27259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-11725]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 250623-0112]
RTID 0648-XE313
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Mid-Atlantic
Blueline Tilefish and Golden Tilefish Fisheries; Final 2025-2027 Golden
Tilefish Specifications and 2025 Blueline Tilefish Specifications
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: This final rule implements and informs the public of
specifications for the 2025 fishing year for the golden tilefish and
the blueline tilefish fishery north of the North Carolina/Virginia
border and projects specifications for golden tilefish in 2026 and
2027. This action is necessary to establish allowable harvest levels
and other management measures to prevent overfishing while allowing
optimum yield, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and the Tilefish
Fishery Management Plan (Tilefish FMP).
DATES: This rule is effective June 26, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Supplemental Information Reports (SIR)
prepared for this action, and other supporting documents for these
proposed specifications, are available from Dr. Christopher M. Moore,
Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North
State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901. These documents are also
accessible via the internet at <a href="http://www.mafmc.org">http://www.mafmc.org</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Rigdon, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9336.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The golden tilefish fishery and the blueline tilefish fishery north
of the
[[Page 27258]]
North Carolina/Virginia border are managed under the Tilefish FMP,
which outlines the process for establishing annual specifications. The
Tilefish FMP requires the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
(Council) to recommend acceptable biological catch (ABC), an annual
catch limit (ACL), an annual catch target (ACT), total allowable
landings (TAL), and other management measures for the commercial and
recreational sectors of the fisheries. The Council's Scientific and
Statistical Committee (SSC) provides ABC recommendations for both
species to the Council to derive these catch limits. The Council makes
recommendations to NMFS that cannot exceed the SSC's ABC
recommendation. The Council's recommendations must include supporting
documentation concerning the environmental, economic, and social
impacts of the recommendations. NMFS reviews these recommendations and,
if they are approved, publishes the specifications in the Federal
Register. A proposed rule for these specifications was published on
April 1, 2025 (90 FR 14350), and comments were accepted through April
16, 2025. Additional information on the process for setting these
specifications is contained in the proposed rule and is not repeated
here.
Final Specifications
This action implements status quo recreational blueline tilefish
management measures and specifications for 2025, with a lower
commercial TAL reduced by the commercial overage in 2024. Preliminary
analysis indicates commercial landings exceeded the 2024 ACL by 5,975
pounds (lb; 2.7 metric tons (mt)). The regulations require an overage
to be deducted in the following year. The resulting specifications are
summarized in table 1.
Table 1--Blueline Tilefish Specifications for 2025 With 2024
Specifications for Comparison
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Specification 2024 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABC--North of NC/VA line........ 100,520 lb (45.6 100,520 lb (45.6
mt). mt).
Recreational ACL................ 73,380 lb (33.3 73,380 lb (33.3
mt). mt).
Recreational TAL................ 71,912 lb (32.6 71,912 lb (32.6
mt). mt).
Commercial ACL.................. 27,140 lb (12.3 27,140 lb (12.3
mt). mt).
Overage Adjustment.............. -4,470 lb (2.0 mt) -5,975 lb (-2.7
mt).
Adjusted Commercial ACL......... 22,670 lb (10.3 21,165 lb (9.6
mt). mt).
Commercial TAL.................. 22,399 lb (10.2 20,894 lb (9.5
mt). mt).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The directed golden tilefish fishery is managed under an individual
fishing quota (IFQ) program, with a small amount of non-IFQ catch
allowed under an incidental permit. This action implements 2025 and
projects 2026 and 2027 specifications for golden tilefish. This action
implements a constant-ABC approach, which members of the golden
tilefish fishing industry have historically supported. The final
specifications for golden tilefish are detailed in table 2.
Table 2--Golden Tilefish Specifications for 2025-2027 With 2024
Specifications for Comparison
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Specification 2024 2025-2027
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABC............................. 1,964,319 lb (891 1,878,338 lb (852
mt). mt).
ACL............................. 1,964,319 lb (891 1,878,338 lb (852
mt). mt).
IFQ ACT......................... 1,763,478 lb (800 1,733,109 lb (786
mt). mt).
Incidental ACT.................. 92,815 lb (42 mt). 91,216 lb (41 mt).
IFQ TAL......................... 1,763,478 lb (800 1,728,590 lb (784
mt). mt).
Incidental TAL.................. 75,410 lb (34 mt). 68,949 lb (31 mt).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This action does not change the landing limits for non-IFQ
commercial fisheries. A vessel fishing under a non-IFQ Federal
commercial tilefish vessel permit will continue to be prohibited from
possessing gutted golden tilefish amounting to more than 500 lb (227
kilograms (kg)) or 50 percent by weight of the total of all species
being landed, whichever is less. This landing limit does not apply to a
vessel authorized to land golden tilefish under a Tilefish IFQ permit.
A vessel fishing under a non-IFQ commercial tilefish permit will also
continue to be prohibited from possessing more than 500 lb (227 kg) of
gutted blueline tilefish per trip. If 70 percent of the blueline
tilefish commercial TAL is landed, the Regional Administrator may
reduce the blueline tilefish possession limit to 300 lb (136 kg).
This action does not change the recreational management measures
for golden or blueline tilefish. Any vessel used to fish recreationally
for golden or blueline tilefish must have the appropriate Federal
vessel permit. Boats used to take anglers for hire must have the
Charter/Party Tilefish Permit, while private recreational vessels need
to have the Private Recreational Tilefish Permit. Both permit types
require the submission of vessel trip reports. Additional information
about permitting and reporting requirements is available from the
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office's Permits Office at (978)
282-8438 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#551b1813067b1214077b053027383c2126153b3a34347b323a23"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a9e7e4effa87eee8fb87f9ccdbc4c0dddae9c7c6c8c887cec6df">[email protected]</span></a>.
The 2025 fishing year for golden tilefish and blueline tilefish
began on January 1, 2025. The regulations include rollover provisions
for both species that allow the fisheries to operate under status quo
specifications until new specifications are approved.
Comments and Responses
We received three comments on the proposed rule. Two of the
comments received were not relevant to this rule and are, therefore,
not discussed further. No changes were made from the proposed action.
Comment: The commenter is an individual who is not directly
involved in either the golden or the blueline tilefish fisheries. The
commenter expressed general support for the action and the need for,
and importance of,
[[Page 27259]]
setting specifications for the tilefish fisheries to prevent
overfishing from occurring. The comment notes that specification-
setting is also economically important for the industry which utilizes
the resource.
Response: NMFS agrees. This action approves 2025 specifications for
blueline and golden tilefish and projects 2026 and 2027 golden tilefish
specifications.
Classification
NMFS is issuing this rule pursuant to section 305(d) of the
Magnuson Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1855(d)). In a previous action taken
pursuant to section 304(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C.
1854(b)), the FMP and implementing regulations created the process by
which specifications are developed through a NMFS rulemaking process
distinct from that of 304(b). See 50 CFR 648.292. As such, NMFS is
issuing this rule pursuant to section 305(d). The NMFS Assistant
Administrator has determined that this final rule is consistent with
the Tilefish FMP, other provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and
other applicable law.
There is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day
delay in effective date. The 2025 fishing year began on January 1,
2025, operating under a rollover provision using specifications from
the prior fishing year. This is a routine specifications action that
occurs every year, and stakeholder and industry groups have been
involved with the development of this action and have participated in
public meetings throughout its development. Further delay in the date
of effectiveness would be contrary to the public interest as it could
increase confusion in the tilefish industry around current quotas. The
2025 fishing year quotas are slightly lower than the quotas from the
prior year that are currently in effect, so continued delay in the
effectiveness of this rule could increase the risk of overages that may
result in overfishing. Furthermore, regulated parties do not require
any additional time to come into compliance with this rule and a 30-day
delay before the final rule becomes effective does not provide any
benefit. Unlike actions that require an adjustment period, tilefish
fishing vessels will not have to purchase new equipment or otherwise
expend time or money to comply with these management measures. Rather,
complying with this final rule simply means adhering to the new catch
limits set for the 2025 fishing year. Finally, fishery stakeholders
have also been involved in the development of this action and are
anticipating this rule. For these reasons, there is good cause not to
delay the effective date of this final rule, consistent with 5 U.S.C.
553(d)(3), and to implement this action upon publication in the Federal
Register.
This final rule is exempt from review under Executive Orders 12866
and 14192.
NMFS has determined that this action would not have a substantial
direct effect on one or more Indian Tribes, on the relationship between
the Federal Government and Indian Tribes, or on the distribution of
power and responsibilities between the Federal Government and Indian
Tribes; therefore, consultation with Tribal officials under E.O. 13175
is not required, and the requirements of sections (5)(b) and (5)(c) of
E.O. 13175 also do not apply. A Tribal summary impact statement under
section (5)(b)(2)(B) and section (5)(c)(2)(B) of E.O. 13175 is not
required and has not been prepared.
The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business
Administration during the proposed rule stage that this action would
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities. The factual basis for the certification was published in the
proposed rule and is not repeated here. No comments were received
regarding this certification. As a result, a regulatory flexibility
analysis was not required and none was prepared.
This final rule contains no information collection requirements
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: June 23, 2025.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-11725 Filed 6-25-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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