[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 108 (Thursday, June 5, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 32498-32499]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-13070]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 120403249-2492-02]
RIN 0648-XD200
Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; 2014 Recreational
Accountability Measure and Closure for South Atlantic Golden Tilefish
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
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SUMMARY: NMFS implements accountability measures (AMs) for the
recreational sector for golden tilefish in the exclusive economic zone
(EEZ) of the South Atlantic for the 2014 fishing year through this
temporary rule. Recreational landings from 2013, as estimated by the
Science and Research Director (SRD), exceeded the recreational annual
catch limit (ACL) for golden tilefish. Furthermore, information from
2014 recreational landings indicates that landings are projected to
reach the recreational ACL on June 7, 2014. To account for the 2013 ACL
overage and to prevent an ACL overage in 2014, NMFS closes the
recreational sector for golden tilefish in the South Atlantic EEZ on
June 7, 2014. This closure is necessary to protect the golden tilefish
resource.
DATES: This rule is effective 12:01 a.m., local time, June 7, 2014,
until 12:01 a.m., local time, January 1, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine Hayslip, telephone: 727-824-
5305, email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The snapper-grouper fishery of the South
Atlantic, which includes golden tilefish, 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 is implemented under the authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act) by regulations at 50 CFR part 622.
In 2013, NMFS published a temporary rule (78 FR 32995, June 3,
2013) to implement the post-season AM to reduce the 2013 fishing season
for the recreational golden tilefish component of the snapper-grouper
fishery. As a result, the recreational sector for golden tilefish was
closed June 3, 2013, until January 1, 2014.
The recreational ACL for golden tilefish is 3,019 fish. In
accordance with regulations at 50 CFR 622.193(a)(2), if recreational
landings reach or are projected to reach the recreational ACL, the
Assistant Administrator, NMFS (AA) will file a notification with the
Office of the Federal Register to close the recreational sector for the
remainder of the fishing year. If the recreational ACL is exceeded,
then during the following fishing year, recreational landings will be
monitored for a persistence in increased landings and, if necessary,
the AA will file a notification with the Office of the Federal Register
to reduce the length of the following fishing season by the amount
necessary to ensure landings do not exceed the recreational ACL in the
following fishing year. Finalized landings data from the NMFS Southeast
Fisheries Science Center indicate that the golden tilefish recreational
ACL was exceeded by 1,255 fish in 2013. To account for the 2013 ACL
overage and to prevent an ACL overage in 2014, the recreational sector
for golden tilefish in the South Atlantic EEZ will be closed on June 7,
2014. Therefore, this temporary rule implements an AM to close the
recreational golden tilefish component of the snapper-grouper fishery
for the remainder of the 2014 fishing year. As a result, the
recreational sector for golden tilefish in the South Atlantic EEZ will
be closed effective 12:01 a.m., local time June 7, 2014.
During the closure, the bag and possession limit for golden
tilefish in or from the South Atlantic EEZ is zero. The recreational
sector for golden tilefish will reopen on January 1, 2015, the
beginning of the 2015 recreational fishing season.
Classification
The Regional Administrator, Southeast Region, NMFS, (RA) has
determined this temporary rule is necessary for the conservation and
management of the South Atlantic golden tilefish component of the South
Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery and is consistent with the Magnuson-
Stevens Act and other applicable laws.
This action is taken under 50 CFR 622.193(a)(2) and is exempt from
review under Executive Order 12866.
These measures are exempt from the procedures of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act because the temporary rule is issued without
opportunity for prior notice and comment.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive the
requirements to provide prior notice and opportunity for public comment
on this temporary rule. Such procedures are unnecessary because the AMs
established by Regulatory Amendment 12 to the FMP (77 FR 61295, October
9, 2012) and located at 50 CFR 622.193(a)(2) have already been subject
to notice and comment and authorize the AA to file a notification with
the Office of the Federal Register to close the recreational sector for
the remainder of the fishing year if recreational landings reach or are
projected to reach the recreational ACL. All that remains is to notify
the public of the recreational closure for golden tilefish for the
remainder of the 2014 fishing year. Additionally, there is a need to
immediately notify the public of the reduced recreational fishing
season for golden tilefish for the 2014 fishing year to prevent further
golden tilefish recreational harvest and prevent the ACL from being
exceeded, which will protect the South Atlantic golden
[[Page 32499]]
tilefish resource. Also, providing prior notice and opportunity for
public comment on this action would be contrary to the public interest
because many of those affected by the length of the recreational
fishing season, particularly charter vessel and headboat operations,
book trips for clients in advance and, therefore need as much time as
possible to adjust business plans to account for the reduced
recreational fishing season.
For the aforementioned reasons, the AA 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: June 2, 2014.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-13070 Filed 6-2-14; 4:15 pm]
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