Rule2026-07792
Fisheries of the South Atlantic; 2026 Recreational Accountability Measure and Closure for Gag in the South Atlantic
Primary source
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Published
April 22, 2026
Effective
August 2, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) and closure for the recreational harvest of gag in South Atlantic Federal waters. As a result of gag recreational landings exceeding the recreational annual catch limit (ACL) in 2025, NMFS reduces the length of the gag 2026 recreational season to prevent landings from exceeding the recreational ACL in 2026. Accordingly, NMFS announces the gag 2026 recreational season in South Atlantic Federal waters will close on August 2, 2026.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 77 (Wednesday, April 22, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 77 (Wednesday, April 22, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 21389-21390]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07792]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 230914-0219; RTID 0648-XF686]
Fisheries of the South Atlantic; 2026 Recreational Accountability
Measure and Closure for Gag in the South Atlantic
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
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SUMMARY: NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) and closure for
the recreational harvest of gag in South Atlantic Federal waters. As a
result of gag recreational landings exceeding the recreational annual
catch limit (ACL) in 2025, NMFS reduces the
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length of the gag 2026 recreational season to prevent landings from
exceeding the recreational ACL in 2026. Accordingly, NMFS announces the
gag 2026 recreational season in South Atlantic Federal waters will
close on August 2, 2026.
DATES: This temporary rule is effective from 12:01 a.m. on August 2,
2026, until 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2027.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nik Mehta, NMFS Southeast Regional
Office, 727-824-5305, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5c32353734353072313934283d1c32333d3d723b332a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8de3e4e6e5e4e1a3e0e8e5f9eccde3e2ececa3eae2fb">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The snapper-grouper fishery of the South
Atlantic includes gag 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,
approved by the Secretary of Commerce, and 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 in gutted weight.
For gag, the recreational ACL was 176,665 pounds (lb) (80,134
kilograms (kg)) in 2025, and is 220,030 lb (99,804 kg) in 2026 (50 CFR
622.193(c)(2)(i)). The gag recreational AM states that if recreational
landings exceed the recreational ACL, then during the following fishing
year, NMFS will reduce the length of the recreational fishing season to
prevent recreational landings from exceeding the recreational ACL (50
CFR 622.193(c)(2)(ii)). In 2025, preliminary landings information shows
that gag recreational landings were 187,751 lb (85,162 kg), exceeding
the 2025 recreational ACL by 11,086 lb (5,029 kg). Therefore,
consistent with the recreational AM, NMFS is reducing the length of the
2026 recreational season by the amount necessary to prevent the 2026
recreational ACL from being exceeded.
The fishing year for gag is from January 1 through December 31,
annually (50 CFR 622.7). However, the recreational sector for gag is
closed annually from January 1 through April 30 (50 CFR 622.183(b)(1)).
Data from the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center have informed
NMFS' 2026 season length projection that recreational landings will
reach the recreational ACL by August 2, 2026. Therefore, NMFS announces
that the gag recreational sector in South Atlantic Federal waters will
close at 12:01 a.m., local time, August 2, 2026, until 12:01 a.m.,
local time, on January 1, 2027. During the recreational closure, the
bag and possession limits for gag in or from South Atlantic Federal
waters are zero. The next recreational fishing season for gag begins on
May 1, 2027.
Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 622.193(c)(2)(ii), which
was 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 unnecessary. Such procedure is unnecessary because the
rule that established the recreational AM for gag has already been
subject to public notice and comment, and all that remains is to notify
the public of the end date of the recreational season. Prior notice and
opportunity for public comment on this action is contrary to the public
interest because of the need to protect the South Atlantic gag
resource. Additionally, since the recreational fishing season begins on
May 1, 2026, announcing the length of the season prior to that date
allows recreational sector participants and businesses to better plan
their activities to harvest gag.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 17, 2026.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-07792 Filed 4-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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