Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; 2022 Red Snapper Private Angling Component Closures in Federal Waters Off Texas, 70985-70986 [2021-26957]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 14, 2021 / Rules and Regulations Federal Communications Commission. Cheryl Callahan Assistant Chief, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau. Final Rules For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal Communications Commission amends 47 CFR part 54 as follows: PART 54—UNIVERSAL SERVICE 1. The authority citation for part 54 continues to read as follows: ■ Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 155, 201, 205, 214, 219, 220, 229, 254, 303(r), 403, 1004, 1302, and 1601–1609, unless otherwise noted. 2. Amend 54.1711 by revising paragraph (e) to read as follows: ■ § 54.1711 Emergency Connectivity Fund requests for reimbursement. * * * * * (e) Service delivery date. For the initial filing window set forth in § 54.1708(b) and any subsequent filing windows covering funding for purchases made between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022, the service delivery date for equipment, other non-recurring services, and recurring services is June 30, 2022. [FR Doc. 2021–26921 Filed 12–13–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712–01–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 622 [Docket No. 200124–0029; RTID 0648– XB632] Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; 2022 Red Snapper Private Angling Component Closures in Federal Waters Off Texas National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. AGENCY: NMFS announces a closure for the 2022 fishing season for the red snapper private angling component in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off Texas in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) through this temporary rule. The red snapper recreational private angling component in the Gulf EEZ off Texas will close on January 1, 2022, until jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with RULES1 SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:20 Dec 13, 2021 Jkt 256001 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 1, 2022. This closure is necessary to prevent the private angling component from exceeding the Texas regional management area annual catch limit (ACL) and to prevent overfishing of the Gulf red snapper resource. DATES: This closure is effective at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2022, until 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 1, 2022. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelli O’Donnell, NMFS Southeast Regional Office, telephone: 727–824– 5305, email: Kelli.ODonnell@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf reef fish fishery, which includes red snapper, is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP). The FMP was prepared by the Gulf of Mexico 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 final rule implementing Amendment 40 to the FMP established two components within the recreational sector fishing for Gulf red snapper: The private angling component, and the Federal for-hire component (80 FR 22422, April 22, 2015). Amendment 40 also allocated the red snapper recreational ACL (recreational quota) between the components and established separate seasonal closures for the two components. On February 6, 2020, NMFS implemented Amendments 50A–F to the FMP, which delegated authority to the Gulf states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Texas) to establish specific management measures for the harvest of red snapper in Federal waters of the Gulf by the private angling component of the recreational sector (85 FR 6819, February 6, 2020). These amendments allocate a portion of the private angling ACL to each state, and each state is required to constrain landings to its allocation. As described at 50 CFR 622.23(c), a Gulf state with an active delegation may request that NMFS close all, or an area of, Federal waters off that state to the harvest and possession of red snapper by private anglers. The state is required to request the closure by letter to NMFS, providing dates and geographic coordinates for the closure. If the request is within the scope of the analysis in Amendment 50A, NMFS publishes a notification in the Federal Register implementing the closure for the fishing year. Based on the analysis in Amendment 50A, Texas may request PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 70985 a closure of all Federal waters off the State to allow a year-round fishing season in State waters. As described at 50 CFR 622.2, ‘‘off Texas’’ is defined as the waters in the Gulf west of a rhumb line from 29°32.1′ N lat., 93°47.7′ W long. to 26°11.4′ N lat., 92°53′ W long., which line is an extension of the boundary between Louisiana and Texas. On December 3, 2021, NMFS received a request from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to close the EEZ off Texas to the red snapper private angling component during the 2022 fishing year. Texas requested that the closure be effective from January 1 through May 31, 2022. NMFS has determined that this request is within the scope of analysis contained within Amendment 50A, which analyzed the potential impacts of a closure of all Federal waters off Texas, consistent with Texas’s intent to maintain a yearround fishing season in State waters during which a part of Texas’ ACL could be caught. Therefore, the red snapper recreational private angling component in the Gulf EEZ off Texas will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2022, until 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 1, 2022. This closure applies to all private-anglers (those on board vessels that have not been issued a valid charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf reef fish) regardless of which state they are from or where they intend to land. Once the EEZ off Texas opens on June 1, 2022, TPWD will continue to monitor private recreational landings, and if necessary, will request that NMFS again close the EEZ in 2022 to ensure the Texas regional management area ACL is not exceeded. On and after the effective dates of this closure in the EEZ off Texas, the harvest and possession red snapper in the EEZ off Texas by the private angling component is prohibited and the bag and possession limits for the red snapper private angling component in the closed area is zero. Classification NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 622.23(c), which was issued pursuant to 304(b), and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866, and other applicable laws. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice and comment are unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. Such procedures are unnecessary because the rule implementing the area closure authority E:\FR\FM\14DER1.SGM 14DER1 70986 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 14, 2021 / Rules and Regulations and the State-specific private angling ACLs has 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 a failure to implement the closure immediately would be inconsistent with Texas’s State management plan and may result in less access to red snapper in State waters. For the aforementioned reasons, there is 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: December 8, 2021. Ngagne Jafnar Gueye, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2021–26957 Filed 12–13–21; 8:45 am] jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with RULES1 BILLING CODE 3510–22–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:20 Dec 13, 2021 Jkt 256001 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 648 [Docket No.: 201214–0338; RTID 0648– XB615] Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfers From VA to CT and NC to RI; Correction National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notification of quota transfer; correction. AGENCY: This action corrects an error in the calculation of the post-transfer quota for the State of North Carolina that published in the Federal Register on November 26, 2021. DATES: Effective December 9, 2021. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Hansen, Fishery Management Specialist, 978–281–9225. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 26, 2021, we published a notification of commercial summer flounder quota transfers. The SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 9990 Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of North Carolina transferred a portion of their 2021 commercial summer flounder quota to the States of Connecticut and Rhode Island, respectively (86 FR 67360). The notification included an error in the post-transfer revised commercial quota for the State of North Carolina. The revised quota for North Carolina after the 22,158 lb (10,051 kg) transfer to Rhode Island was incorrectly listed as 2,952,765 lb (1,339,352 kg) instead of 2,932,765 lb (1,330,280 kg). This correction notifies the public of the corrected revised commercial quota for the State of North Carolina. Correction In FR Doc. 2021–25839, beginning on page 67360 in the Federal Register of November 26, 2021, make the following correction. On page 67360, in the third column, ‘‘2,952,765 lb (1,339,352 kg)’’ is corrected to read ‘‘2,932,765 lb (1,330,280 kg)’’ in its place. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: December 9, 2021. Ngagne Jafnar Gueye, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2021–27007 Filed 12–9–21; 4:15 pm] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P E:\FR\FM\14DER1.SGM 14DER1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 14, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 70985-70986]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26957]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[Docket No. 200124-0029; RTID 0648-XB632]


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; 2022 Red Snapper Private 
Angling Component Closures in Federal Waters Off Texas

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces a closure for the 2022 fishing season for the 
red snapper private angling component in the exclusive economic zone 
(EEZ) off Texas in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) through this temporary 
rule. The red snapper recreational private angling component in the 
Gulf EEZ off Texas will close on January 1, 2022, until 12:01 a.m., 
local time, on June 1, 2022. This closure is necessary to prevent the 
private angling component from exceeding the Texas regional management 
area annual catch limit (ACL) and to prevent overfishing of the Gulf 
red snapper resource.

DATES: This closure is effective at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 
1, 2022, until 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 1, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelli O'Donnell, NMFS Southeast 
Regional Office, telephone: 727-824-5305, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf reef fish fishery, which includes 
red snapper, is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef 
Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP). The FMP was prepared by the 
Gulf of Mexico 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 final rule implementing Amendment 40 to the FMP established two 
components within the recreational sector fishing for Gulf red snapper: 
The private angling component, and the Federal for-hire component (80 
FR 22422, April 22, 2015). Amendment 40 also allocated the red snapper 
recreational ACL (recreational quota) between the components and 
established separate seasonal closures for the two components. On 
February 6, 2020, NMFS implemented Amendments 50A-F to the FMP, which 
delegated authority to the Gulf states (Louisiana, Mississippi, 
Alabama, Florida, and Texas) to establish specific management measures 
for the harvest of red snapper in Federal waters of the Gulf by the 
private angling component of the recreational sector (85 FR 6819, 
February 6, 2020). These amendments allocate a portion of the private 
angling ACL to each state, and each state is required to constrain 
landings to its allocation.
    As described at 50 CFR 622.23(c), a Gulf state with an active 
delegation may request that NMFS close all, or an area of, Federal 
waters off that state to the harvest and possession of red snapper by 
private anglers. The state is required to request the closure by letter 
to NMFS, providing dates and geographic coordinates for the closure. If 
the request is within the scope of the analysis in Amendment 50A, NMFS 
publishes a notification in the Federal Register implementing the 
closure for the fishing year. Based on the analysis in Amendment 50A, 
Texas may request a closure of all Federal waters off the State to 
allow a year-round fishing season in State waters. As described at 50 
CFR 622.2, ``off Texas'' is defined as the waters in the Gulf west of a 
rhumb line from 29[deg]32.1' N lat., 93[deg]47.7' W long. to 
26[deg]11.4' N lat., 92[deg]53' W long., which line is an extension of 
the boundary between Louisiana and Texas.
    On December 3, 2021, NMFS received a request from the Texas Parks 
and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to close the EEZ off Texas to the red 
snapper private angling component during the 2022 fishing year. Texas 
requested that the closure be effective from January 1 through May 31, 
2022. NMFS has determined that this request is within the scope of 
analysis contained within Amendment 50A, which analyzed the potential 
impacts of a closure of all Federal waters off Texas, consistent with 
Texas's intent to maintain a year-round fishing season in State waters 
during which a part of Texas' ACL could be caught.
    Therefore, the red snapper recreational private angling component 
in the Gulf EEZ off Texas will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on 
January 1, 2022, until 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 1, 2022. This 
closure applies to all private-anglers (those on board vessels that 
have not been issued a valid charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf 
reef fish) regardless of which state they are from or where they intend 
to land. Once the EEZ off Texas opens on June 1, 2022, TPWD will 
continue to monitor private recreational landings, and if necessary, 
will request that NMFS again close the EEZ in 2022 to ensure the Texas 
regional management area ACL is not exceeded.
    On and after the effective dates of this closure in the EEZ off 
Texas, the harvest and possession red snapper in the EEZ off Texas by 
the private angling component is prohibited and the bag and possession 
limits for the red snapper private angling component in the closed area 
is zero.

Classification

    NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 622.23(c), which was 
issued pursuant to 304(b), and is exempt from review under Executive 
Order 12866, and other applicable laws.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior 
notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice 
and comment are unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. Such 
procedures are unnecessary because the rule implementing the area 
closure authority

[[Page 70986]]

and the State-specific private angling ACLs has 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 a 
failure to implement the closure immediately would be inconsistent with 
Texas's State management plan and may result in less access to red 
snapper in State waters.
    For the aforementioned reasons, there is 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: December 8, 2021.
Ngagne Jafnar Gueye,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-26957 Filed 12-13-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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