Rule2026-08984
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of America; Accountability Measure for Recreational Harvest of Red Snapper in Federal Waters off Louisiana
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
May 6, 2026
Effective
May 6, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
Recreational landings of red snapper in Louisiana during 2025 exceeded the annual catch limit (ACL) apportioned to the state for the private angling component of the recreational sector. According to the accountability measure (AM), NMFS reduces Louisiana's 2026 ACL for red snapper in the Gulf of America (Gulf) by the amount of the overage in 2025. NMFS implements this AM for the 2026 fishing year to protect the red snapper resource in the Gulf.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 87 (Wednesday, May 6, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 6, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 24375-24376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-08984]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 200124-0029; RTID 0648-XF703]
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic;
Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of America; Accountability Measure for
Recreational Harvest of Red Snapper in Federal Waters off Louisiana
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule, accountability measure.
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SUMMARY: Recreational landings of red snapper in Louisiana during 2025
exceeded the annual catch limit (ACL) apportioned to the state for the
private angling component of the recreational sector. According to the
accountability measure (AM), NMFS reduces Louisiana's 2026 ACL for red
snapper in the Gulf of America (Gulf) by the amount of the overage in
2025. NMFS implements this AM for the 2026 fishing year to protect the
red snapper resource in the Gulf.
DATES: This temporary rule is effective from May 6, 2026, through
December 31, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelli O'Donnell, NMFS Southeast
Regional Office, 727-824-5305, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2f444a43434601404b4041414a43436f41404e4e01484059"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0b606e67676225646f6465656e67674b65646a6a256c647d">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the Gulf reef fish fishery and
red snapper in Federal waters under the Fishery Management Plan for the
Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf (FMP). NMFS and the Gulf Fishery
Management Council prepared the FMP, 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).
All weights discussed in this temporary rule are in round weight.
The metric conversion for the imperial measurement used in this
document is 1 pound (lb) equals approximately 0.45 kilograms.
This temporary rule implements an AM for the recreational harvest
of red snapper by the private angling component in Federal waters off
Louisiana for the 2026 fishing year. The private angling component
(private anglers) includes those who fish from private vessels and
fishermen on non-federally permitted charter vessels and headboats
(for-hire vessels).
Red snapper in Gulf Federal waters are harvested each year by the
commercial and recreational sectors under separate catch limits. The
recreational sector ACL is further divided between private anglers and
federally permitted for-hire vessels. In 2020, NMFS delegated authority
to the Gulf States of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and
Texas to establish specific management measures for the harvest of red
snapper by private anglers (85 FR 6819, February 6, 2020). That rule
allocated a portion of the private angler ACL (private recreational
ACL) to each state and each state is required to constrain landings
within its allocation as part of state management. The private
recreational ACL for the Louisiana regional management area is 934,587
lb (50 CFR 622.23(a)(1)(ii)(C)).
[[Page 24376]]
Regulations at 50 CFR 622.23(b) state that if landings from a
state's private anglers exceed the state's private recreational ACL,
then that ACL will be reduced in the following fishing year by the
amount of the overage in the prior fishing year. On May 6, 2025, NMFS
published a temporary rule in the Federal Register that reduced the
private recreational ACL for the Louisiana regional management area in
2025 to 894,955 lb due to an overage in 2024 (90 FR 19129).
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reported that
private anglers landed 947,103 lb of red snapper. Therefore, NMFS has
determined that 2025 landings by private anglers exceeded Louisiana's
2025 ACL by 52,148 lb. In accordance with the AM, this temporary rule
reduces Louisiana's 2026 ACL of 934,587 lb by the 2025 overage. This
results in a 2026 Louisiana ACL of 882,439 lb.
This temporary rule does not affect the private recreational ACLs
in the other Gulf state management areas.
Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 622.23(b), 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 opportunity for public comment on this action. Such
procedures are unnecessary because the rule implementing the authority
for the post-season ACL adjustment has already been subject to notice
and comment, and all that remains is to notify the public of the
action. Such procedures are contrary to the public interest because a
failure to implement the ACL overage adjustment immediately may confuse
the public about what ACL is in effect for Louisiana during the 2026
fishing season.
For the aforementioned reasons, there is also good cause to waive
the 30-day delay in the effectiveness of the action under 5 U.S.C.
553(d)(3).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 4, 2026.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-08984 Filed 5-5-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 6, 2026.
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