[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 55 (Friday, March 20, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 16006-16007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05809]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 130403320-4891-02]
RTID 0648-XS028
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; 2020-2021 Recreational
Fishing Season for Black Sea Bass
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; recreational season length.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the length of the recreational fishing
season for black sea bass in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the
South Atlantic will extend throughout the species' 2020-2021 fishing
year. Announcing the length of recreational season for black sea bass
is one of the accountability measures (AMs) for the recreational
sector. This announcement allows recreational fishers to maximize their
opportunity to harvest the recreational annual catch limit (ACL) for
black sea bass during the fishing season while managing harvest to
protect the black sea bass resource.
DATES: This rule is effective from 12:01 a.m. eastern time on April 1,
2020, through March 31, 2021, unless changed by subsequent notification
in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nikhil Mehta, NMFS Southeast Regional
Office, telephone: 727-824-5305, email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery
includes black sea bass south of 35[deg]15.9' N latitude and is managed
under the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of
the South Atlantic Region (FMP). The South Atlantic Fishery Management
Council prepared the FMP and the FMP is implemented by NMFS under the
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) by regulations at 50 CFR part 622.
The recreational fishing year for black sea bass is April 1 through
March 31. The recreational AM for black sea bass requires that before
the April 1 start date of each recreational fishing year, NMFS projects
the length of the recreational fishing season based on when NMFS
projects the recreational ACL will be met, and announces the
recreational season end date in the Federal Register (50 CFR
622.193(e)(2)). The purpose of this AM is to have a more predictable
recreational season length while still constraining harvest at or below
the recreational ACL to protect the stock from experiencing adverse
biological consequences.
The recreational ACL for the 2020-2021 black sea bass fishing year
is 323,161 lb (146,583 kg) gutted weight, or 381,330 lb (172,968 kg)
round weight. The recreational ACL was set through the final rule for
Abbreviated Framework Amendment 2 to the FMP (84 FR 14021, April 9,
2019).
NMFS estimates that recreational landings for the 2020-2021 fishing
year will be less than the 2020-2021 recreational ACL. To make this
determination, NMFS compared recreational landings in the last 3
fishing years to the recreational ACL for the 2020-2021 black sea bass
fishing year. Recreational landings in each of the past 3 fishing years
have been substantially less than the 2020-2021 recreational ACL;
therefore, recreational landings are projected to be less than the
2020-2021 recreational ACL. Accordingly, the recreational sector for
black sea bass is not expected to close during the fishing year as a
result of reaching its ACL, and the season end date for recreational
fishing for black sea bass in the South Atlantic EEZ south of
35[deg]15.9' N latitude is March 31, 2021.
[[Page 16007]]
Classification
The Regional Administrator for the NMFS Southeast Region has
determined this temporary rule is necessary for the conservation and
management of South Atlantic black sea bass and is consistent with the
FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable laws.
This action is taken under 50 CFR 622.193(e)(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.
This action responds to the best scientific information available.
The Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries (AA) finds that the need
to immediately implement the notice of the recreational season length
constitutes good cause to waive the requirements to provide prior
notice and opportunity for public comment pursuant to the authority set
forth in 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), because prior notice and opportunity for
public comment on this temporary rule is unnecessary. Such procedures
are unnecessary, because the rule establishing the AM has already been
subject to notice and comment and all that remains is to notify the
public of the recreational season length.
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: March 16, 2020.
Karyl K. Brewster-Geisz,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-05809 Filed 3-19-20; 8:45 am]
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