Rule2026-15886
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery in the Gulf of America; 2026 Commercial Closure for Greater Amberjack
Primary source
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Published
August 5, 2026
Effective
August 8, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS is closing the 2026 commercial fishing season for greater amberjack in the Gulf of America (Gulf). Federal regulations require NMFS to close commercial harvest for greater amberjack if landings reach the commercial annual catch target (ACT) during the fishing year, which NMFS has projected will occur by August 5, 2026. The commercial closure for greater amberjack will remain closed through the rest of 2026. This action is necessary to protect the greater amberjack resource in the Gulf.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 149 (Wednesday, August 5, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 5, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 50482-50483]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-15886]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 1206013412-2517-02]
RTID 0648-XF942
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic;
Reef Fish Fishery in the Gulf of America; 2026 Commercial Closure for
Greater Amberjack
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the 2026 commercial fishing season for greater
amberjack in the Gulf of America (Gulf). Federal regulations require
NMFS to close commercial harvest for greater amberjack if landings
reach the commercial annual catch target (ACT) during the fishing year,
which NMFS has projected will occur by August 5, 2026. The commercial
closure for greater amberjack will remain closed through the rest of
2026. This action is necessary to protect the greater amberjack
resource in the Gulf.
DATES: The commercial closure is effective from August 8, 2026, through
December 31, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelli O'Donnell, NMFS Southeast
Regional Office, at 727-824-5305 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f398969f9f9add9c979c9d9d969f9fb39d9c9292dd949c85"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5c37393030357233383332323930301c32333d3d723b332a">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the reef fish fishery and
greater amberjack in Gulf 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, which 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 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.
For Gulf greater amberjack, the commercial annual catch limit (ACL)
and commercial ACT (the latter of which is equivalent to the commercial
quota) are 101,000 lb and 93,930 lb, respectively (50 CFR
622.41(a)(1)(iii) and 622.39(a)(1)(v)). On February 5, 2026, NMFS
reduced the commercial harvest levels for Gulf greater amberjack, in
accordance with the current accountability measure at 50 CFR
622.41(a)(1)(ii), because commercial landings in 2025 exceeded the
commercial ACL (91 FR 5243). During the rest of 2026 fishing year,
which ends on December 31, the commercial ACL is 92,816 lb and the
commercial ACT is 85,746 lb.
Under 50 CFR 622.41(a)(1)(i), NMFS is required to close the greater
amberjack commercial sector if NMFS estimates that commercial landings
will reach the commercial ACT during the fishing year. NMFS has
projected that the reduced 2026 commercial ACT of 85,746 lb will be
reached by August 5, 2026. Accordingly, NMFS closes the commercial
harvest of greater amberjack from the Gulf Federal waters from August
8, 2026, through December 31, 2026.
During the commercial closure, the sale or purchase of greater
amberjack taken from Gulf Federal waters is prohibited. The prohibition
on sale or purchase does not apply to the sale or purchase of greater
amberjack that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to the
effectiveness of this temporary rule and were held in cold storage by a
dealer or processor. The commercial harvest of greater amberjack will
re-open on January 1, 2027, the beginning of the following commercial
fishing season.
Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens
[[Page 50483]]
Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 622.41(a)(1), 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 are unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. Such
procedures are unnecessary because the regulations associated with the
closure of the greater amberjack commercial sector at 50 CFR
622.41(a)(1) have already been subject to notice and public comment,
and all that remains is to notify the public of the commercial closure.
Prior notice and opportunity for public comment are contrary to the
public interest because there is a need to immediately implement this
action to protect the greater amberjack stock. Prior notice and
opportunity for public comment would require time and could result in a
commercial harvest that exceeds the reduced commercial ACT.
For the same reasons already stated, the NMFS 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: August 3, 2026.
Shannon Bettridge,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-15886 Filed 8-3-26; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 5, 2026.
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