Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 2017 Commercial Accountability Measure and Closure for South Atlantic Vermilion Snapper, 47641-47642 [2017-22211]
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 197 / Friday, October 13, 2017 / Rules and Regulations
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for greater amberjack when the
commercial ACL (commercial quota) is
reached, or is projected to be reached,
by filing a notification to that effect with
the Office of the Federal Register. NMFS
projects that commercial landings of
South Atlantic greater amberjack will
reach the commercial ACL by October
18, 2017. Accordingly, the commercial
sector for South Atlantic greater
amberjack is closed effective at 12:01
a.m., local time, October 18, 2017, until
12:01 a.m., local time, March 1, 2018.
The operator of a vessel with a valid
Federal commercial vessel permit for
South Atlantic snapper-grouper with
greater amberjack on board must have
landed and bartered, traded, or sold
such greater amberjack prior to 12:01
a.m., local time, October 18, 2017.
During the commercial closure, harvest
and possession of greater amberjack in
or from the South Atlantic EEZ is
limited to the recreational bag and
possession limits, as specified in
§ 622.187(b)(1) and (c)(1). Also during
the commercial closure, the sale or
purchase of greater amberjack taken
from the South Atlantic EEZ is
prohibited. The prohibition on sale or
purchase does not apply to greater
amberjack that were harvested, landed
ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m.,
local time, October 18, 2017, and were
held in cold storage by a dealer or
processor, as specified in
§ 622.190(c)(1)(i).
For a person on board a vessel that
has been issued a valid Federal
commercial or charter vessel/headboat
permit for the South Atlantic snappergrouper fishery, the bag and possession
limits and the sale and purchase
provisions of the commercial closure for
greater amberjack apply regardless of
whether the fish are harvested in state
or Federal waters, as specified in 50
CFR 622.190(c)(1)(ii).
Classification
The Regional Administrator,
Southeast Region, NMFS, has
determined this temporary rule is
necessary for the conservation and
management of greater amberjack and
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(k)(1) 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
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:07 Oct 12, 2017
Jkt 244001
Assistant Administrator for NOAA
Fisheries (AA) finds that the need to
immediately implement this action to
close the commercial sector for greater
amberjack 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), as such
procedures would be unnecessary and
contrary to the public interest. Such
procedures are unnecessary because the
AMs have already been subject to notice
and comment, and all that remains is to
notify the public of the closure. Such
procedures are contrary to the public
interest because of the need to
immediately implement this action to
protect greater amberjack since the
capacity of the fishing fleet allows for
rapid harvest of the commercial ACL
(commercial quota). Prior notice and
opportunity for public comment would
require time and would potentially
result in a harvest well in excess of the
established commercial ACL
(commercial quota).
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: October 10, 2017.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–22210 Filed 10–12–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 130312235–3658–02]
RIN 0648–XF730
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico, and South Atlantic; 2017
Commercial Accountability Measure
and Closure for South Atlantic
Vermilion Snapper
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
AGENCY:
NMFS implements an
accountability measure (AM) for the
commercial sector for vermilion snapper
in the South Atlantic exclusive
economic zone (EEZ). NMFS projects
that commercial landings of vermilion
snapper will reach the commercial
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00031
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
47641
annual catch limit (ACL) for the July
through December 2017 fishing period
by October 17, 2017. Therefore, NMFS
closes the commercial sector for
vermilion snapper in the South Atlantic
EEZ on October 17, 2017, and it will
remain closed until January 1, 2018, the
start of the January through June
commercial fishing season. This closure
is necessary to protect the South
Atlantic vermilion snapper resource.
DATES: This rule is effective from 12:01
a.m., local time, October 17, 2017, until
12:01 a.m., local time, January 1, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary Vara, NMFS Southeast Regional
Office, telephone: 727–824–5305, email:
mary.vara@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
snapper-grouper fishery of the South
Atlantic includes vermilion snapper and
is managed under the Fishery
Management Plan for the SnapperGrouper Fishery of the South Atlantic
Region (FMP). The FMP was prepared
by the South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council and 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 commercial ACL (equivalent to
the commercial quota) for vermilion
snapper in the South Atlantic is divided
into separate quotas for two 6-month
periods each year, January through June
and July through December. The
commercial quota for vermilion snapper
in the South Atlantic is 388,703 lb
(176,313 kg), gutted weight (431,460 lb
(195,707 kg), round weight), for the July
1 through December 31, 2017, fishing
period, as specified in 50 CFR
622.190(a)(4)(ii)(D).
On September 28, 2017 (82 FR 45207),
NMFS published a temporary rule in the
Federal Register to reduce the
commercial trip limit for vermilion
snapper in or from the South Atlantic
EEZ to 500 lb (227 kg), gutted weight,
effective at 12:01 a.m., local time,
October 2, 2017, until January 1, 2018,
or until the commercial quota was
reached and the commercial sector
closed, whichever would occur first.
In accordance with regulations at 50
CFR 622.193(f)(1), NMFS is required to
close the commercial sector for
vermilion snapper when the commercial
quota for that 6-month period of the
fishing year has been reached, or is
projected to be reached, by filing a
notification to that effect with the Office
of the Federal Register. NMFS has
determined that the commercial quota
for South Atlantic vermilion snapper for
the July through December fishing
E:\FR\FM\13OCR1.SGM
13OCR1
47642
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 197 / Friday, October 13, 2017 / Rules and Regulations
nlaroche on DSK9F9SC42PROD with RULES
period will be reached by October 17,
2017. Accordingly, the commercial
sector for South Atlantic vermilion
snapper is closed effective at 12:01 a.m.,
local time, October 17, 2017, until 12:01
a.m., local time, January 1, 2018.
The operator of a vessel with a valid
commercial vessel permit for South
Atlantic snapper-grouper with
vermilion snapper on board must have
landed and bartered, traded, or sold
such vermilion snapper prior to 12:01
a.m., local time, October 17, 2017.
During the commercial closure, the
recreational bag limit specified in 50
CFR 622.187(b)(5) and the possession
limits specified in 50 CFR 622.187(c)(1)
apply to all harvest or possession of
vermilion snapper in or from the South
Atlantic EEZ. Also during the
commercial closure, the sale or
purchase of vermilion snapper taken
from the EEZ is prohibited. As specified
in 50 CFR 622.190(c)(1)(i), the
prohibition on sale or purchase does not
apply to the sale or purchase of
vermilion snapper that were harvested,
landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01
a.m., local time, October 17, 2017, and
were held in cold storage by a dealer or
processor. For a person on board a
vessel issued a Federal commercial or
charter vessel/headboat permit for the
South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery,
the recreational bag and possession
limits and the sale and purchase
provisions of the commercial closure for
vermilion snapper apply regardless of
whether the fish are harvested in state
or Federal waters, as specified in 50
CFR 622.190(c)(1)(ii).
Classification
The Regional Administrator for the
NMFS Southeast Region has determined
this temporary rule is necessary for the
conservation and management of South
Atlantic vermilion snapper and is
consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens
Act and other applicable laws.
This action is taken under 50 CFR
622.193(f)(1) and is exempt from review
under Executive Order 12866.
This action responds to the best
scientific information available. The
Assistant Administrator for NOAA
Fisheries (AA) finds that the need to
immediately implement this action to
close the commercial sector for
vermilion snapper 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),
as such procedures would be
unnecessary and contrary to the public
interest. Such procedures are
unnecessary because the final rule
implementing the AM has been subject
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:07 Oct 12, 2017
Jkt 244001
to public notice and comment, and all
that remains is to notify the public of
the closure. Allowing prior notice and
opportunity for public comment is
contrary to the public interest because
of the need to immediately implement
this action to protect vermilion snapper,
since the capacity of the fishing fleet
allows for rapid harvest of the
commercial quota. Prior notice and
opportunity for public comment would
require time and could result in a
harvest well in excess of the established
commercial quota.
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: October 10, 2017.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–22211 Filed 10–12–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 665
[Docket No. 170109046–7933–02]
RIN 0648–XF156
Pacific Island Pelagic Fisheries; 2017
U.S. Territorial Longline Bigeye Tuna
Catch Limits
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Final specifications.
AGENCY:
In this final rule, NMFS
specifies a 2017 limit of 2,000 mt of
longline-caught bigeye tuna for each
U.S. participating territory (American
Samoa, Guam, and the Northern
Mariana Islands). NMFS will allow each
territory to allocate up to 1,000 mt each
year to U.S. longline fishing vessels in
a valid specified fishing agreement. As
an accountability measure, NMFS will
monitor, attribute, and restrict (if
necessary), catches of longline-caught
bigeye tuna, including catches made
under a specified fishing agreement.
These catch limits and accountability
measures support the long-term
sustainability of fishery resources of the
U.S. Pacific Islands and fisheries
development in the U.S. territories.
DATES: The final specifications are
effective October 10, 2017, through
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00032
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
December 31, 2017. The deadline to
submit a specified fishing agreement
pursuant to 50 CFR 665.819(b)(3) for
review is December 11, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Fishery
Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of
the Western Pacific (Pelagic FEP) 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.
NMFS prepared environmental
analyses that describe the potential
impacts on the human environment that
would result from the action. Copies of
those analyses, identified by NOAA–
NMFS–2017–0004, are available from
www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20170004, or from Michael D. Tosatto,
Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific
Islands Region (PIR), 1845 Wasp Blvd.,
Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jarad Makaiau, NMFS PIRO Sustainable
Fisheries, 808–725–5176.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is
specifying a catch limit of 2,000 mt of
longline-caught bigeye tuna for each
U.S. participating territory in 2017.
NMFS is also authorizing each territory
to allocate up to 1,000 mt of its 2,000mt bigeye tuna limit to U.S. longline
fishing vessels permitted to fish under
the Pelagic FEP. NMFS will monitor
catches of longline-caught bigeye tuna
by the longline fisheries of each
territory, including catches made by
U.S. longline vessels operating under
specified fishing agreements. The
criteria that a specified fishing
agreement must meet, and the process
for attributing longline-caught bigeye
tuna, will follow the procedures in 50
CFR 665.819—Territorial catch and
fishing effort limits. When NMFS
projects that a territorial catch or
allocation limit will be reached, NMFS
will, as an accountability measure,
prohibit the catch and retention of
longline-caught bigeye tuna by vessels
in the applicable territory (territorial
catch limit), and/or vessels in a
specified fishing agreement (allocation
limit).
You may find additional background
information on this action in the
preamble to the proposed specifications
published on August 31, 2017 (82 FR
41388).
Comments and Responses
On August 31, 2017, NMFS published
the proposed specifications and request
for public comments (82 FR 41388); the
comment period closed on September
15, 2017.
E:\FR\FM\13OCR1.SGM
13OCR1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 197 (Friday, October 13, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 47641-47642]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-22211]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 130312235-3658-02]
RIN 0648-XF730
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
2017 Commercial Accountability Measure and Closure for South Atlantic
Vermilion Snapper
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for the
commercial sector for vermilion snapper in the South Atlantic exclusive
economic zone (EEZ). NMFS projects that commercial landings of
vermilion snapper will reach the commercial annual catch limit (ACL)
for the July through December 2017 fishing period by October 17, 2017.
Therefore, NMFS closes the commercial sector for vermilion snapper in
the South Atlantic EEZ on October 17, 2017, and it will remain closed
until January 1, 2018, the start of the January through June commercial
fishing season. This closure is necessary to protect the South Atlantic
vermilion snapper resource.
DATES: This rule is effective from 12:01 a.m., local time, October 17,
2017, until 12:01 a.m., local time, January 1, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Vara, NMFS Southeast Regional
Office, telephone: 727-824-5305, email: mary.vara@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The snapper-grouper fishery of the South
Atlantic includes vermilion snapper and 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 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 commercial ACL (equivalent to the commercial quota) for
vermilion snapper in the South Atlantic is divided into separate quotas
for two 6-month periods each year, January through June and July
through December. The commercial quota for vermilion snapper in the
South Atlantic is 388,703 lb (176,313 kg), gutted weight (431,460 lb
(195,707 kg), round weight), for the July 1 through December 31, 2017,
fishing period, as specified in 50 CFR 622.190(a)(4)(ii)(D).
On September 28, 2017 (82 FR 45207), NMFS published a temporary
rule in the Federal Register to reduce the commercial trip limit for
vermilion snapper in or from the South Atlantic EEZ to 500 lb (227 kg),
gutted weight, effective at 12:01 a.m., local time, October 2, 2017,
until January 1, 2018, or until the commercial quota was reached and
the commercial sector closed, whichever would occur first.
In accordance with regulations at 50 CFR 622.193(f)(1), NMFS is
required to close the commercial sector for vermilion snapper when the
commercial quota for that 6-month period of the fishing year has been
reached, or is projected to be reached, by filing a notification to
that effect with the Office of the Federal Register. NMFS has
determined that the commercial quota for South Atlantic vermilion
snapper for the July through December fishing
[[Page 47642]]
period will be reached by October 17, 2017. Accordingly, the commercial
sector for South Atlantic vermilion snapper is closed effective at
12:01 a.m., local time, October 17, 2017, until 12:01 a.m., local time,
January 1, 2018.
The operator of a vessel with a valid commercial vessel permit for
South Atlantic snapper-grouper with vermilion snapper on board must
have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such vermilion snapper prior
to 12:01 a.m., local time, October 17, 2017. During the commercial
closure, the recreational bag limit specified in 50 CFR 622.187(b)(5)
and the possession limits specified in 50 CFR 622.187(c)(1) apply to
all harvest or possession of vermilion snapper in or from the South
Atlantic EEZ. Also during the commercial closure, the sale or purchase
of vermilion snapper taken from the EEZ is prohibited. As specified in
50 CFR 622.190(c)(1)(i), the prohibition on sale or purchase does not
apply to the sale or purchase of vermilion snapper that were harvested,
landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, October 17,
2017, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor. For a
person on board a vessel issued a Federal commercial or charter vessel/
headboat permit for the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery, the
recreational bag and possession limits and the sale and purchase
provisions of the commercial closure for vermilion snapper apply
regardless of whether the fish are harvested in state or Federal
waters, as specified in 50 CFR 622.190(c)(1)(ii).
Classification
The Regional Administrator for the NMFS Southeast Region has
determined this temporary rule is necessary for the conservation and
management of South Atlantic vermilion snapper and is consistent with
the Magnuson-Stevens Act and other applicable laws.
This action is taken under 50 CFR 622.193(f)(1) and is exempt from
review under Executive Order 12866.
This action responds to the best scientific information available.
The Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries (AA) finds that the need
to immediately implement this action to close the commercial sector for
vermilion snapper 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), as such procedures would be
unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. Such procedures are
unnecessary because the final rule implementing the AM has been subject
to public notice and comment, and all that remains is to notify the
public of the closure. Allowing prior notice and opportunity for public
comment is contrary to the public interest because of the need to
immediately implement this action to protect vermilion snapper, since
the capacity of the fishing fleet allows for rapid harvest of the
commercial quota. Prior notice and opportunity for public comment would
require time and could result in a harvest well in excess of the
established commercial quota.
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: October 10, 2017.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-22211 Filed 10-12-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
