Rule2025-17974
Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Re-Opening of Commercial Harvest for Blueline Tilefish in the South Atlantic
Primary source
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Published
September 17, 2025
Effective
September 26, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS announces the re-opening of commercial harvest for blueline tilefish in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic through this temporary rule. The most recent data for commercial landings of blueline tilefish indicate the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for the 2025 fishing year has not yet been reached. Therefore, NMFS re-opens the commercial sector to harvest blueline tilefish in the South Atlantic EEZ for 6 days. The purpose of this temporary rule is to allow for the commercial ACL of blueline tilefish to be harvested while managing the risk of exceeding the commercial ACL.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 178 (Wednesday, September 17, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 17, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 44783-44784]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-17974]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 140501394-5279-02; RTID 0648-XF190]
Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Re-Opening of Commercial Harvest
for Blueline Tilefish in the South Atlantic
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; re-opening.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the re-opening of commercial harvest for
blueline tilefish in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South
Atlantic through this temporary rule. The most recent data for
commercial landings of blueline tilefish indicate the commercial annual
catch limit (ACL) for the 2025 fishing year has not yet been reached.
Therefore, NMFS re-opens the commercial sector to harvest blueline
tilefish in the South Atlantic EEZ for 6 days. The purpose of this
temporary rule is to allow for the commercial ACL of blueline tilefish
to be harvested while managing the risk of exceeding the commercial
ACL.
DATES: This temporary rule is effective from September 21 through
September 26, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Vara, NMFS Southeast Regional
Office, telephone: 727-824-5305, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2f424e5d5601594e5d4e6f41404e4e01484059"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2c414d5e55025a4d5e4d6c42434d4d024b435a">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The snapper-grouper fishery of the South
Atlantic includes blueline tilefish and is managed under the Fishery
Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic
Region (FMP). The FMP was prepared by the South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council and NMFS, was approved by the Secretary of Commerce,
and is implemented by NMFS through regulations at 50 CFR part 622 under
the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). All weights in this temporary
rule are given in round weight.
Regulations at 50 CFR 622.193(z)(1)(i) specify the commercial ACL
and in-season accountability measure for blueline tilefish in the South
Atlantic. The commercial ACL is 117,148 pounds or 53,137 kilograms.
NMFS is required to close the commercial harvest of blueline tilefish
when NMFS projects commercial landings will reach or have reached the
sector ACL. Previously in this 2025 fishing year, NMFS projected that
commercial landings of blueline tilefish would reach the commercial ACL
on July 23, 2025, and therefore closed commercial harvest on that date
and for the rest of the year (90 FR 34186, July 21, 2025). However, a
recent update of commercial landings data indicates that the commercial
ACL for blueline tilefish was not reached on July 23, 2025.
In accordance with regulations at 50 CFR 622.8(c), NMFS temporarily
re-opens the commercial sector for blueline tilefish for 6 days from
September 21 through September 26, 2025. The commercial sector will be
closed again on September 27, 2025, and remain closed until January 1,
2026, the start of the next fishing year. NMFS has determined that this
re-opening will allow an additional opportunity to commercially harvest
blueline tilefish while managing the risk of exceeding the commercial
ACL.
The operator of a vessel with a valid Federal commercial vessel
permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper with blueline tilefish on the
vessel must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such blueline
tilefish no later than September 26, 2025. During the subsequent
commercial closure from September 27 through the rest of 2025, all sale
or purchase of blueline tilefish is prohibited. Further, the
recreational sector for blueline tilefish in the South Atlantic EEZ is
closed each year from January 1 through April 30 and from September 1
through December 31, and during these periods, the bag and possession
limits for blueline tilefish in or from the South Atlantic EEZ are
zero. Therefore, after the effective period of this temporary rule, all
harvest and possession of blueline tilefish in or from the South
Atlantic EEZ is prohibited. Additionally, these bag and possession
limits apply to the harvest of blueline tilefish in both state and
Federal waters in the South Atlantic on a vessel with a valid Federal
commercial or charter vessel/headboat permit for South Atlantic
snapper-grouper.
Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is taken under 50 CFR 622.8(c), issued
pursuant to section 304(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, 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
[[Page 44784]]
unnecessary. Such procedure is unnecessary, because the regulations
associated with the commercial ACL of blueline tilefish and a re-
opening to provide an opportunity for the commercial ACL to be
harvested have already been subject to notice and public comment, and
all that remains is to notify the public of the commercial sector re-
opening.
For the reasons stated earlier, the Assistant Administrator for
Fisheries also finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in the
effectiveness of this action under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 12, 2025.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-17974 Filed 9-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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