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, 16006-16007 [2020-05809]

Download as PDF 16006 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 55 / Friday, March 20, 2020 / Rules and Regulations different from the licensee’s email address) as displayed publicly in the Licensing and Management System (LMS) or the primary station’s carriagerelated email address if the noncommercial educational translator station does not have its own email address listed in LMS. ■ 9. Revise § 76.1607 to read as follows: § 76.1607 Principal headend. A cable operator shall provide written notice to all stations carried on its system pursuant to the must-carry rules in this subpart at least 60 days prior to any change in the designation of its principal headend. Such written notice shall be provided by certified mail, except that after July 31, 2020, notice shall be provided to stations by electronic delivery in accordance with § 76.1600. 10. Revise § 76.1608 to read as follows: ■ Initial must-carry notice. (a) Within 60 days of activation of a cable system, a cable operator must notify all qualified NCE stations of its designated principal headend by certified mail, except that after July 31, 2020, notice shall be provided by electronic delivery in accordance with § 76.1600. * * * * * (c) Within 60 days of activation of a cable system, a cable operator must send a copy of a list of all broadcast television stations carried by its system and their channel positions to all local commercial and noncommercial television stations, including those not designated as must-carry stations and those not carried on the system. Such written information shall be provided by certified mail, except that after July 31, 2020, such information shall be provided by electronic delivery in accordance with § 76.1600. [FR Doc. 2020–05478 Filed 3–19–20; 8:45 am] § 76.1608 System technical integration requiring uniform election of must-carry or retransmission consent status. BILLING CODE 6712–01–P A cable system that changes its technical configuration in such a way as to integrate two formerly separate cable systems must give 90 days notice of its intention to do so to any television broadcast stations that have elected must-carry status with respect to one system and retransmission consent status with respect to the other. After July 31, 2020, such notice shall be delivered to stations electronically in accordance with § 76.1600. If the system and the station do not agree on a uniform election 45 days prior to integration, the cable system may require the station to make such a uniform election 30 days prior to integration. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 11. Revise § 76.1609 to read as follows: ■ § 76.1609 Non-duplication and syndicated exclusivity. jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with RULES § 76.1617 Within 60 days following the provision of service to 1,000 subscribers, the operator of each such system shall file a notice to that effect with the Commission, and serve a copy of that notice on every television station that would be entitled to exercise network non-duplication protection or syndicated exclusivity protection against it. After July 31, 2020, in lieu of serving paper copies on stations, the operator shall provide the required copies to stations by electronic delivery in accordance with § 76.1600. 12. Amend § 76.1617 by revising paragraphs (a) and (c) to read as follows: ■ VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:04 Mar 19, 2020 Jkt 250001 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; SnapperGrouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; 2020–2021 Recreational Fishing Season for Black Sea Bass National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; recreational season length. AGENCY: 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, PO 00000 Frm 00098 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 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: nikhil.mehta@noaa.gov. The South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery includes black sea bass south of 35°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°15.9′ N latitude is March 31, 2021. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: E:\FR\FM\20MRR1.SGM 20MRR1 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 55 / Friday, March 20, 2020 / Rules and Regulations jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with RULES 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. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:04 Mar 19, 2020 Jkt 250001 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 PO 00000 Frm 00099 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 9990 16007 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] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P E:\FR\FM\20MRR1.SGM 20MRR1

Agencies

[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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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