Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Commercial Non-Blacknose Small Coastal Sharks in the Gulf of Mexico Region, 75436-75437 [2015-30540]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 231 / Wednesday, December 2, 2015 / Rules and Regulations
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 622
Commercial, Fisheries, Fishing,
Greater amberjack, Gulf, Recreational,
Reef fish.
round weight. The recreational ACT for
gray triggerfish is 217,100 lb (98,475 kg),
round weight.
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Dated: November 25, 2015.
Eileen Sobeck,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
■
5. In § 622.43, revise paragraph (a) to
read as follows:
§ 622.43
For the reasons set out in the
preamble, 50 CFR part 622 is amended
as follows:
PART 622—FISHERIES OF THE
CARIBBEAN, GULF OF MEXICO, AND
SOUTH ATLANTIC
1. The authority citation for part 622
continues to read as follows:
■
Commercial trip limits.
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(a) Gulf greater amberjack. Until the
quota specified in § 622.39(a)(1)(v) is
reached, 1,500 lb (680 kg), gutted
weight; 1,560 lb (708 kg), round weight.
See § 622.39(b) for the limitations
regarding greater amberjack after the
quota is reached.
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[FR Doc. 2015–30543 Filed 12–1–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
2. In § 622.37, revise paragraph (c)(4)
to read as follows:
■
§ 622.37
Size limits.
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(c) * * *
(4) Greater amberjack—34 inches
(86.4 cm), fork length, for a fish taken
by a person subject to the bag limit
specified in § 622.38(b)(1) and 36 inches
(91.4 cm), fork length, for a fish taken
by a person not subject to the bag limit.
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■ 3. In § 622.39, revise paragraphs
(a)(1)(v) and (a)(2)(ii) to read as follows:
§ 622.39
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(a) * * *
(1) * * *
(v) Greater amberjack—394,740 lb
(179,051 kg), round weight.
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(2) * * *
(ii) Recreational quota for greater
amberjack. The recreational quota for
greater amberjack is 1,092,372 lb
(495,492 kg), round weight.
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■ 4. In § 622.41, revise paragraphs
(a)(1)(iii), (a)(2)(iii), and (b)(2)(iii) to
read as follows:
[Docket No. 140429387–4971–02]
RIN 0648–XE334
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species;
Commercial Non-Blacknose Small
Coastal Sharks in the Gulf of Mexico
Region
NMFS is closing the fishery
for commercial non-blacknose small
coastal sharks (SCS) in the Gulf of
Mexico region. This action is necessary
because the commercial landings of Gulf
of Mexico non-blacknose SCS for the
2015 fishing season are projected to
exceed 80 percent of the available
commercial quota as of November 27,
2015.
SUMMARY:
(a) * * *
(1) * * *
(iii) The commercial ACL for greater
amberjack is 464,400 lb (210,648 kg),
round weight.
(2) * * *
(iii) The recreational ACL for greater
amberjack is 1,255,600 lb (569,531 kg),
round weight.
(b) * * *
(2) * * *
(iii) The recreational ACL for gray
triggerfish is 241,200 lb (109,406 kg),
Jkt 238001
The commercial fishery for nonblacknose SCS in the Gulf of Mexico
region is closed effective 11:30 p.m.
local time December 5, 2015, until the
end of the 2015 fishing season on
December 31, 2015, and will reopen on
January 1, 2016.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Guy
DuBeck or Karyl Brewster-Geisz 301–
427–8503; fax 301–713–1917.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico shark
fisheries are managed under the 2006
Consolidated Highly Migratory Species
(HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP),
its amendments, and its implementing
DATES:
§ 622.41 Annual catch limits (ACLs),
annual catch targets (ACTs), and
accountability measures (AMs).
jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with RULES
50 CFR Part 635
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
*
13:21 Dec 01, 2015
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
AGENCY:
Quotas.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
PO 00000
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regulations (50 CFR part 635) issued
under authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et
seq.).
Under § 635.5(b)(1), dealers must
report weekly on sharks they first
receive from vessels through a NMFSapproved electronic reporting system.
Under § 635.28(b)(2), when NMFS
calculates that the landings for any
species and/or management group with
a ‘‘non-linked’’ quota has reached or is
projected to reach 80 percent of the
available quota, NMFS will file for
publication with the Office of the
Federal Register a notice of closure that
will be effective no fewer than 5 days
from date of filing. From the effective
date and time of the closure until and
if NMFS announces, via a notification in
the Federal Register, that additional
quota is available and the season is
reopened, the fisheries remain closed,
even across fishing years.
On December 2, 2014 (79 FR 71331),
NMFS announced that the 2015
commercial Gulf of Mexico nonblacknose SCS quota was 45.5 metric
tons (mt) dressed weight (dw) (100,317
lb dw), while and the blacknose shark
quota was 1.8 mt dw (4,076 lb dw).
Dealer reports received through June 26,
2015, indicated that 36.9 mt dw or 81
percent of the available Gulf of Mexico
non-blacknose SCS quota had been
landed and 1.0 mt dw or 52 percent of
the available Gulf of Mexico blacknose
shark quota had been landed. Since the
dealer landings of non-blacknose SCS
exceeded 80 percent of the quota, and
the non-blacknose SCS and blacknose
shark fisheries were quota-linked,
NMFS closed the blacknose shark and
non-blacknose SCS fisheries on July 4,
2015 (80 FR 38016; July 2, 2016).
On August 18, 2015 (80 FR 50073),
NMFS published the final rule for
Amendment 6 to the 2006 Consolidated
HMS FMP which, among other things,
established a new Gulf of Mexico nonblacknose SCS commercial quota of
112.6 mt dw (248,215 lb dw), prohibited
the retention of blacknose sharks in the
Gulf of Mexico, and removed the quota
linkage between the blacknose shark
fishery and the non-blacknose SCS
commercial fishery. At that time, NMFS
estimated that approximately 66.4 mt
dw of the new Gulf of Mexico nonblacknose SCS commercial quota was
available and re-opened the Gulf of
Mexico non-blacknose SCS commercial
fishery. Dealer reports received through
November 20, 2015, indicated that a
total of 89.4 mt dw or 79 percent of the
available Gulf of Mexico non-blacknose
SCS commercial quota had been landed.
Based on these dealer reports, NMFS
E:\FR\FM\02DER1.SGM
02DER1
jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 231 / Wednesday, December 2, 2015 / Rules and Regulations
estimates that the 80 percent limit
specified for closure will be exceeded
by November 27, 2015. Accordingly,
NMFS is closing the commercial nonblacknose SCS management group in
the Gulf of Mexico region as of 11:30
p.m. local time December 5, 2015. The
only shark species or management
groups that remain open in the Gulf of
Mexico region are the research large
coastal sharks, sandbar sharks within
the shark research fishery, the blue
shark, and pelagic sharks other than
porbeagle or blue shark management
groups.
At § 635.27(b)(1), the boundary
between the Gulf of Mexico region and
the Atlantic region is defined as a line
beginning on the East Coast of Florida
at the mainland at 25°20.4′ N. latitude,
proceeding due east. Any water and
land to the south and west of that
boundary is considered, for the
purposes of monitoring and setting
quotas, to be within the Gulf of Mexico
region.
During the closure, retention of nonblacknose SCS in the Gulf of Mexico
region is prohibited for persons fishing
aboard vessels issued a commercial
shark limited access permit (LAP) under
§ 635.4. However, persons aboard a
commercially permitted vessel that is
also properly permitted to operate as a
charter vessel or headboat for HMS and
is engaged in a for-hire trip could fish
under the recreational retention limits
for sharks and ‘‘no sale’’ provisions
(§ 635.22(a) and (c)).
During this closure, a shark dealer
issued a permit pursuant to § 635.4 may
not purchase or receive non-blacknose
SCS in the Gulf of Mexico region from
a vessel issued a shark LAP, except that
a permitted shark dealer or processor
may possess non-blacknose SCS in the
Gulf of Mexico region that were
harvested, off-loaded, and sold, traded,
or bartered prior to the effective date of
the closure and were held in storage
consistent with § 635.28(b)(6). Similarly,
a shark dealer issued a permit pursuant
to § 635.4 may, in accordance with
relevant state regulations, purchase or
receive non-blacknose SCS in the Gulf
of Mexico region if the sharks were
harvested, off-loaded, and sold, traded,
or bartered from a vessel that fishes only
in state waters and that has not been
issued a shark LAP, HMS Angling
permit, or HMS Charter/Headboat
permit pursuant to § 635.4.
Classification
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,
VerDate Sep<11>2014
13:21 Dec 01, 2015
Jkt 238001
NOAA (AA), finds that providing prior
notice and public comment for this
action is impracticable and contrary to
the public interest because the fisheries
are currently underway and any delay
in this action would result in
overharvest of the Gulf of Mexico nonblacknose SCS quota and be
inconsistent with management
requirements and objectives. Similarly,
affording prior notice and opportunity
for public comment on this action is
contrary to the public interest because if
the quota is exceeded, the stock may be
negatively affected and fishermen
ultimately could experience reductions
in the available quota and a lack of
fishing opportunities in future seasons.
For these reasons, the AA also finds
good cause to waive the 30-day delay in
effective date pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
553(d)(3). This action is required under
§ 635.28(b)(2) and is exempt from
review under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 27, 2015.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–30540 Filed 11–30–15; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 665
RIN 0648–XD998
Pacific Island Pelagic Fisheries; 2015
U.S. Territorial Longline Bigeye Tuna
Catch Limits for Guam
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Announcement of a valid
specified fishing agreement.
AGENCY:
NMFS announces a valid
specified fishing agreement that
allocates 1,000 mt of the 2015 Guam
bigeye tuna limit to U.S. longline fishing
vessels. The agreement supports the
long-term sustainability of fishery
resources of the U.S. Pacific Islands.
DATES: November 27, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the environmental
assessment and finding of no significant
impact for this action, identified by
NOAA–NMFS–2015–0077, are available
from www.regulations.gov, or from
SUMMARY:
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75437
Michael D. Tosatto, Regional
Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands
Region (PIR), 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg.
176, Honolulu, HI 96818.
Copies of the fishery ecosystem plans
are available from the Western Pacific
Fishery Management Council (Council),
1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu,
HI 96813, tel 808–522–8220, fax 808–
522–8226, or www.wpcouncil.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jarad Makaiau, NMFS PIRO Sustainable
Fisheries, 808–725–5176.
In a final
rule published on November 6, 2015,
NMFS specified a 2015 limit of 2,000
metric tons (mt) of longline-caught
bigeye tuna for Guam (80 FR 68778). Of
the 2,000 mt, NMFS allows the territory
to allocate up to 1,000 mt to U.S.
longline fishing vessels identified in a
specified fishing agreement that meets
established criteria.
On November 25, 2015, NMFS
received from the Western Pacific
Fishery Management Council a
specified fishing agreement between the
Government of Guam and Quota
Management, Inc. (QMI). In the
transmittal memorandum, the Council’s
Executive Director noted that the
specified fishing agreement was
consistent with the criteria set forth in
50 CFR 665.819(c)(1). NMFS reviewed
the agreement and determined that it is
consistent with the Fishery Ecosystem
Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western
Pacific Region, the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act, implementing regulations, and
other applicable laws.
In accordance with 50 CFR 300.224(d)
and 50 CFR 665.819(c)(9), vessels
identified in the agreement may retain
and land bigeye tuna in the western and
central Pacific Ocean under the Guam
limit.
NMFS began attributing bigeye tuna
caught by vessels identified in the
agreement to Guam starting on
November 25, 2015. If and when NMFS
determines the fishery will reach the
1,000 mt attribution limit, we will
restrict harvest of bigeye tuna caught by
vessels identified in the agreement.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 27, 2015.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–30544 Filed 11–27–15; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
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02DER1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 231 (Wednesday, December 2, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 75436-75437]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30540]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 635
[Docket No. 140429387-4971-02]
RIN 0648-XE334
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Commercial Non-Blacknose Small
Coastal Sharks in the Gulf of Mexico Region
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the fishery for commercial non-blacknose small
coastal sharks (SCS) in the Gulf of Mexico region. This action is
necessary because the commercial landings of Gulf of Mexico non-
blacknose SCS for the 2015 fishing season are projected to exceed 80
percent of the available commercial quota as of November 27, 2015.
DATES: The commercial fishery for non-blacknose SCS in the Gulf of
Mexico region is closed effective 11:30 p.m. local time December 5,
2015, until the end of the 2015 fishing season on December 31, 2015,
and will reopen on January 1, 2016.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Guy DuBeck or Karyl Brewster-Geisz
301-427-8503; fax 301-713-1917.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico shark
fisheries are managed under the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory
Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP), its amendments, and its
implementing regulations (50 CFR part 635) issued under authority of
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C.
1801 et seq.).
Under Sec. 635.5(b)(1), dealers must report weekly on sharks they
first receive from vessels through a NMFS-approved electronic reporting
system. Under Sec. 635.28(b)(2), when NMFS calculates that the
landings for any species and/or management group with a ``non-linked''
quota has reached or is projected to reach 80 percent of the available
quota, NMFS will file for publication with the Office of the Federal
Register a notice of closure that will be effective no fewer than 5
days from date of filing. From the effective date and time of the
closure until and if NMFS announces, via a notification in the Federal
Register, that additional quota is available and the season is
reopened, the fisheries remain closed, even across fishing years.
On December 2, 2014 (79 FR 71331), NMFS announced that the 2015
commercial Gulf of Mexico non-blacknose SCS quota was 45.5 metric tons
(mt) dressed weight (dw) (100,317 lb dw), while and the blacknose shark
quota was 1.8 mt dw (4,076 lb dw). Dealer reports received through June
26, 2015, indicated that 36.9 mt dw or 81 percent of the available Gulf
of Mexico non-blacknose SCS quota had been landed and 1.0 mt dw or 52
percent of the available Gulf of Mexico blacknose shark quota had been
landed. Since the dealer landings of non-blacknose SCS exceeded 80
percent of the quota, and the non-blacknose SCS and blacknose shark
fisheries were quota-linked, NMFS closed the blacknose shark and non-
blacknose SCS fisheries on July 4, 2015 (80 FR 38016; July 2, 2016).
On August 18, 2015 (80 FR 50073), NMFS published the final rule for
Amendment 6 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP which, among other things,
established a new Gulf of Mexico non-blacknose SCS commercial quota of
112.6 mt dw (248,215 lb dw), prohibited the retention of blacknose
sharks in the Gulf of Mexico, and removed the quota linkage between the
blacknose shark fishery and the non-blacknose SCS commercial fishery.
At that time, NMFS estimated that approximately 66.4 mt dw of the new
Gulf of Mexico non-blacknose SCS commercial quota was available and re-
opened the Gulf of Mexico non-blacknose SCS commercial fishery. Dealer
reports received through November 20, 2015, indicated that a total of
89.4 mt dw or 79 percent of the available Gulf of Mexico non-blacknose
SCS commercial quota had been landed. Based on these dealer reports,
NMFS
[[Page 75437]]
estimates that the 80 percent limit specified for closure will be
exceeded by November 27, 2015. Accordingly, NMFS is closing the
commercial non-blacknose SCS management group in the Gulf of Mexico
region as of 11:30 p.m. local time December 5, 2015. The only shark
species or management groups that remain open in the Gulf of Mexico
region are the research large coastal sharks, sandbar sharks within the
shark research fishery, the blue shark, and pelagic sharks other than
porbeagle or blue shark management groups.
At Sec. 635.27(b)(1), the boundary between the Gulf of Mexico
region and the Atlantic region is defined as a line beginning on the
East Coast of Florida at the mainland at 25[deg]20.4' N. latitude,
proceeding due east. Any water and land to the south and west of that
boundary is considered, for the purposes of monitoring and setting
quotas, to be within the Gulf of Mexico region.
During the closure, retention of non-blacknose SCS in the Gulf of
Mexico region is prohibited for persons fishing aboard vessels issued a
commercial shark limited access permit (LAP) under Sec. 635.4.
However, persons aboard a commercially permitted vessel that is also
properly permitted to operate as a charter vessel or headboat for HMS
and is engaged in a for-hire trip could fish under the recreational
retention limits for sharks and ``no sale'' provisions (Sec. 635.22(a)
and (c)).
During this closure, a shark dealer issued a permit pursuant to
Sec. 635.4 may not purchase or receive non-blacknose SCS in the Gulf
of Mexico region from a vessel issued a shark LAP, except that a
permitted shark dealer or processor may possess non-blacknose SCS in
the Gulf of Mexico region that were harvested, off-loaded, and sold,
traded, or bartered prior to the effective date of the closure and were
held in storage consistent with Sec. 635.28(b)(6). Similarly, a shark
dealer issued a permit pursuant to Sec. 635.4 may, in accordance with
relevant state regulations, purchase or receive non-blacknose SCS in
the Gulf of Mexico region if the sharks were harvested, off-loaded, and
sold, traded, or bartered from a vessel that fishes only in state
waters and that has not been issued a shark LAP, HMS Angling permit, or
HMS Charter/Headboat permit pursuant to Sec. 635.4.
Classification
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the Assistant Administrator for
Fisheries, NOAA (AA), finds that providing prior notice and public
comment for this action is impracticable and contrary to the public
interest because the fisheries are currently underway and any delay in
this action would result in overharvest of the Gulf of Mexico non-
blacknose SCS quota and be inconsistent with management requirements
and objectives. Similarly, affording prior notice and opportunity for
public comment on this action is contrary to the public interest
because if the quota is exceeded, the stock may be negatively affected
and fishermen ultimately could experience reductions in the available
quota and a lack of fishing opportunities in future seasons. For these
reasons, the AA also finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in
effective date pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). This action is required
under Sec. 635.28(b)(2) and is exempt from review under Executive
Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 27, 2015.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-30540 Filed 11-30-15; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
