Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region; 2021-2022 Closure of Commercial Run-Around Gillnet Fishery for King Mackerel, 11596-11597 [2022-04394]

Download as PDF 11596 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 41 / Wednesday, March 2, 2022 / Rules and Regulations Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.; § 229.32(f) also issued under 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. 2. In § 229.32, add paragraph (c)(3)(iv) to read as follows: ■ § 229.32 Atlantic large whale take reduction plan regulations. * * * * (c) * * * (3) * * * (iv) Massachusetts Restricted Area emergency extension. During the period April 1–30, 2022, the Massachusetts Restricted Area defined in paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section is extended from the Massachusetts State waters boundary at MRAW1 to MRAW2 (also MRA3 in Table 11 to paragraph (c)(3)(i)), then it is bounded by a rhumb line connecting points MRAW2 to MRAW3 (MRA4), and then bounded by a rhumb line connecting points MRAW3 through MRAW4 (MRA5) back to MRAW1, in the order detailed in Table 11a to this paragraph (c)(3)(iv). From April 1, 2022, through April 30, 2022, it is prohibited to fish with, set, or possess trap/pot gear in the area in this paragraph (c)(3)(iv) unless it is fished without buoy lines or with buoy lines that are stored on the bottom until remotely released for hauling, or buoy lines that are stowed in accordance with § 229.2. Authorizations for fishing without buoy lines must be obtained if such fishing would not be in accordance with surface marking requirements of §§ 697.21 and 648.84 of this title or other applicable fishery management regulations in this title. The minimum number of trap/trawl gear configuration requirements specified in paragraph (c)(2)(iv) of this section remain in effect unless an exemption to those requirements is authorized. TABLE 11a TO PARAGRAPH (c)(3)(iv) MRAW1 MRAW2 MRAW3 MRAW4 MRAW1 * * Lat ........................ (MRA3) .......... (MRA4) .......... (MRA5) .......... ........................ * * Long 42°39.77′ ... 42°12′ ........ 42°12′ ........ 42°30′ ........ 42°39.77′ ... 70°30′ 70°38.69′ 70°30′ 70°30′ 70°30′ * [FR Doc. 2022–04291 Filed 3–1–22; 8:45 am] lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1 BILLING CODE 3510–22–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:41 Mar 01, 2022 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 622 [Docket No. 160426363–7275–02; RTID 0648–XB854] * Point DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Jkt 256001 Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region; 2021–2022 Closure of Commercial Run-Around Gillnet Fishery for King Mackerel National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. AGENCY: NMFS closes commercial harvest of king mackerel in the southern zone of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) using run-around gillnet gear. NMFS has determined that the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for king mackerel harvested by run-around gillnet gear in the Gulf southern zone has been reached. Therefore, NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) and closes the southern zone to commercial king mackerel fishing using run-around gillnet gear in the Gulf EEZ on March 2, 2022. This closure is necessary to protect the Gulf king mackerel resource. DATES: The closure is effective from 12 p.m. local time on March 2, 2022, until 6 a.m. local time on January 17, 2023. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelli O’Donnell, NMFS Southeast Regional Office, telephone: 727–824– 5305, email: kelli.odonnell@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The fishery for coastal migratory pelagic fish in the Gulf includes king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and cobia, and is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region (FMP). The FMP was prepared by the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. NMFS implements the FMP under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) by regulations at 50 CFR part 622. All weights for the Gulf migratory group of king mackerel (Gulf king mackerel) apply as either round or gutted weight. The commercial fishery for Gulf king mackerel is divided into western, northern, and southern zones. The southern zone for Gulf king mackerel encompasses an area of the Gulf EEZ off SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 Collier and Monroe Counties in south Florida, which is the EEZ south of a line extending due west from the boundary of Lee and Collier Counties on the Florida west coast, and south of a line extending due east from the boundary of Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties on the Florida east coast (50 CFR 622.369(a)(1)(iii)). The commercial ACL for Gulf king mackerel is divided into separate ACLs for hook-and-line and run-around gillnet gear. The use of run-around gillnets for king mackerel is restricted to the Gulf southern zone. The commercial gillnet quota (equivalent to the commercial gillnet ACL) for Gulf king mackerel is normally 575,400 lb (260,997 kg) and the current fishing year is from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022 (50 CFR 622.384(b)(1)(iii)(B)). However, on October 5, 2021, NMFS published a temporary rule in the Federal Register to reduce the commercial gillnet ACL for the 2021– 2022 fishing year (86 FR 54871, October 5, 2021). NMFS determined that landings in the 2020–2021 fishing year of king mackerel harvested by runaround gillnet gear exceeded the commercial quota of 575,400 lb (260,997 kg) by 11,920 lb (5,407 kg). The AM specified in 50 CFR 622.388(a)(1)(iii) states if commercial landings of king mackerel caught by run-around gillnet gear exceed the ACL, then NMFS will reduce the commercial gillnet ACL in the following fishing year by the amount of the ACL overage. Therefore, NMFS reduced the 2021–2022 commercial gillnet ACL to 563,480 lb (255,590 kg) for the 2021–2022 fishing year. Further, regulations at 50 CFR 622.388(a)(1) require NMFS to close any component of the king mackerel commercial sector when its applicable quota 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 for the 2021–2022 fishing year, landings have reached the commercial quota for Gulf king mackerel on vessels using runaround gillnet gear in the southern zone. Accordingly, commercial fishing using such gear in the southern zone is closed at 12 p.m. local time on March 2, 2022. The next fishing season begins at 6 a.m. local time on January 17, 2023, i.e., the day after the 2023 Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal holiday. Vessel operators that have been issued a Federal commercial permit to harvest Gulf king mackerel using run-around gillnet gear in the southern zone must have landed ashore and bartered, traded, or sold such king E:\FR\FM\02MRR1.SGM 02MRR1 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 41 / Wednesday, March 2, 2022 / Rules and Regulations mackerel prior to 12 p.m. local time on March 2, 2022. Persons on a vessel using hook-andline gear in the southern zone for which a Federal commercial permit for Gulf king mackerel has been issued, except persons on such a vessel also issued a Federal commercial permit to harvest Gulf king mackerel using run-around gillnet gear, may fish for or retain Gulf king mackerel unless the southern zone commercial quota for hook-and-line gear has been met and the hook-and-line component of the commercial sector has been closed. In addition, as long as the recreational sector for Gulf king mackerel is open (50 CFR 622.384(e)(1)), a person on a vessel that has a valid Federal commercial gillnet permit for king mackerel may continue to retain king mackerel under the recreational bag and possession limits set forth in 50 CFR 622.382(a)(1)(ii) and (a)(2). During the commercial closure, Gulf king mackerel harvested using runaround gillnet gear in the southern zone may not be purchased or sold. This prohibition does not apply to Gulf king mackerel harvested using run-around gillnet gear in the southern zone that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to the closure and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor (50 CFR 622.384(e)(2)). lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1 Classification NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 622.388(a)(1), which was issued pursuant to section 304(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866. 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 is unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. Such procedure is unnecessary because the regulations associated with the commercial quota and associated AM for Gulf king mackerel have already been subject to notice and public comment, and all that remains is to notify the public of the closure. Prior notice and opportunity for public comment on this action is contrary to the public interest because of the need to immediately implement the closure to protect the Gulf king mackerel resource. The capacity of the commercial fishing fleet allows for rapid harvest of the commercial quota, and any delay in the closure could result in the commercial quota being exceeded. Prior notice and opportunity for public comment would require time and would VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:19 Mar 01, 2022 Jkt 256001 potentially result in a harvest that exceeds the commercial quota. For the previously stated reasons, there is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in effectiveness of this action. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: February 25, 2022. Ngagne Jafnar Gueye, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2022–04394 Filed 2–25–22; 4:15 pm] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 660 [Docket No. 220223–0055] RIN 0648–BK73 Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Pink Shrimp and Midwater Trawl Exemptions to Vessel Monitoring System Requirements for the West Coast Groundfish Fishery National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Final rule. AGENCY: This rule revises monitoring provisions that specify exemptions for non-groundfish trawl vessels participating in the Pacific coast pink shrimp fishery and for groundfish midwater trawl vessels. In a final rule on vessel movement, monitoring, and declaration management for the Pacific coast groundfish fishery published on June 11, 2020, vessels in the pink shrimp trawl fishery were incorrectly included with other open access nongroundfish trawl vessels that became subject to a higher position transmission rate on their NMFS type-approved vessel monitoring system (VMS) units. This final rule corrects the error and returns the required transmission rate for vessels in the pink shrimp trawl fishery to once every 60 minutes, as recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council). This action also corrects a citation error in the VMS regulations with regards to exemptions for midwater trawl vessels, as well as a typographical error in the trawl fishery prohibitions. DATES: Effective April 1, 2022. ADDRESSES: Copies of the analytic document supporting this action, are SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 11597 available via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov, docket NOAA–NMFS–2021–0085, or by contacting the Pacific Fishery Management Council, 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR 97220–1384. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt Dunlap, Fishery Policy Analyst, 206– 526–6019, or matthew.dunlap@ noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background On June 11, 2020, NMFS published a final rule on vessel movement, monitoring, and declaration management that revised reporting and monitoring provisions for vessels participating in the Pacific coast groundfish fishery (85 FR 35594). The rule increased the vessel position frequency to improve NMFS’s ability to enforce fishing activity around restricted areas. The rule required an increase in the position transmission rate from once every 60 minutes to once every 15 minutes for groundfish vessels using NMFS type-approved VMS units. This increase in frequency produces more course, location, and speed data to improve NMFS’s ability to identify whether vessels are continuously transiting in restricted areas or not. The Council discussed and recommended an exemption to the increased transmission rate for vessels fishing in the pink shrimp trawl fishery because this fishery is not subject to restrictions against trawling in Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs) and because the Council and NMFS Office of Law Enforcement did not have concerns with enforcing pink shrimp trawling restrictions in Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Conservation Areas. However, the exemption for pink shrimp trawl vessels was inadvertently not included in the original proposed or final rule. This final rule adds the exemption to the increased ping rate for pink shrimp trawl vessels, corrects a citation error in the midwater trawl exemption at 50 CFR 660.14(d)(3)(ii)(B), and corrects a typographical error in the prohibitions section of the trawl fishery regulations at 50 CFR 660.112(b)(1)(x). Between September 2014 and April 2016, the Council developed and considered management measures to address a range of vessel and gear movement issues and aggregated these issues under a single vessel movement monitoring agenda item. Additional details about the Council’s considerations are included in the Council’s analytical document (see ADDRESSES). The Council’s public E:\FR\FM\02MRR1.SGM 02MRR1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 2, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 11596-11597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-04394]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[Docket No. 160426363-7275-02; RTID 0648-XB854]


Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and 
Atlantic Region; 2021-2022 Closure of Commercial Run-Around Gillnet 
Fishery for King Mackerel

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS closes commercial harvest of king mackerel in the 
southern zone of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) exclusive economic zone 
(EEZ) using run-around gillnet gear. NMFS has determined that the 
commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for king mackerel harvested by run-
around gillnet gear in the Gulf southern zone has been reached. 
Therefore, NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) and closes 
the southern zone to commercial king mackerel fishing using run-around 
gillnet gear in the Gulf EEZ on March 2, 2022. This closure is 
necessary to protect the Gulf king mackerel resource.

DATES: The closure is effective from 12 p.m. local time on March 2, 
2022, until 6 a.m. local time on January 17, 2023.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The fishery for coastal migratory pelagic 
fish in the Gulf includes king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and cobia, 
and is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Coastal 
Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region 
(FMP). The FMP was prepared by the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic 
Fishery Management Councils. NMFS implements the FMP under the 
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) by regulations at 50 CFR part 622. All 
weights for the Gulf migratory group of king mackerel (Gulf king 
mackerel) apply as either round or gutted weight.
    The commercial fishery for Gulf king mackerel is divided into 
western, northern, and southern zones. The southern zone for Gulf king 
mackerel encompasses an area of the Gulf EEZ off Collier and Monroe 
Counties in south Florida, which is the EEZ south of a line extending 
due west from the boundary of Lee and Collier Counties on the Florida 
west coast, and south of a line extending due east from the boundary of 
Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties on the Florida east coast (50 CFR 
622.369(a)(1)(iii)).
    The commercial ACL for Gulf king mackerel is divided into separate 
ACLs for hook-and-line and run-around gillnet gear. The use of run-
around gillnets for king mackerel is restricted to the Gulf southern 
zone. The commercial gillnet quota (equivalent to the commercial 
gillnet ACL) for Gulf king mackerel is normally 575,400 lb (260,997 kg) 
and the current fishing year is from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 
2022 (50 CFR 622.384(b)(1)(iii)(B)). However, on October 5, 2021, NMFS 
published a temporary rule in the Federal Register to reduce the 
commercial gillnet ACL for the 2021-2022 fishing year (86 FR 54871, 
October 5, 2021). NMFS determined that landings in the 2020-2021 
fishing year of king mackerel harvested by run-around gillnet gear 
exceeded the commercial quota of 575,400 lb (260,997 kg) by 11,920 lb 
(5,407 kg). The AM specified in 50 CFR 622.388(a)(1)(iii) states if 
commercial landings of king mackerel caught by run-around gillnet gear 
exceed the ACL, then NMFS will reduce the commercial gillnet ACL in the 
following fishing year by the amount of the ACL overage. Therefore, 
NMFS reduced the 2021-2022 commercial gillnet ACL to 563,480 lb 
(255,590 kg) for the 2021-2022 fishing year.
    Further, regulations at 50 CFR 622.388(a)(1) require NMFS to close 
any component of the king mackerel commercial sector when its 
applicable quota 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 for the 2021-2022 fishing year, 
landings have reached the commercial quota for Gulf king mackerel on 
vessels using run-around gillnet gear in the southern zone. 
Accordingly, commercial fishing using such gear in the southern zone is 
closed at 12 p.m. local time on March 2, 2022. The next fishing season 
begins at 6 a.m. local time on January 17, 2023, i.e., the day after 
the 2023 Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal holiday. Vessel operators that 
have been issued a Federal commercial permit to harvest Gulf king 
mackerel using run-around gillnet gear in the southern zone must have 
landed ashore and bartered, traded, or sold such king

[[Page 11597]]

mackerel prior to 12 p.m. local time on March 2, 2022.
    Persons on a vessel using hook-and-line gear in the southern zone 
for which a Federal commercial permit for Gulf king mackerel has been 
issued, except persons on such a vessel also issued a Federal 
commercial permit to harvest Gulf king mackerel using run-around 
gillnet gear, may fish for or retain Gulf king mackerel unless the 
southern zone commercial quota for hook-and-line gear has been met and 
the hook-and-line component of the commercial sector has been closed. 
In addition, as long as the recreational sector for Gulf king mackerel 
is open (50 CFR 622.384(e)(1)), a person on a vessel that has a valid 
Federal commercial gillnet permit for king mackerel may continue to 
retain king mackerel under the recreational bag and possession limits 
set forth in 50 CFR 622.382(a)(1)(ii) and (a)(2).
    During the commercial closure, Gulf king mackerel harvested using 
run-around gillnet gear in the southern zone may not be purchased or 
sold. This prohibition does not apply to Gulf king mackerel harvested 
using run-around gillnet gear in the southern zone that were harvested, 
landed ashore, and sold prior to the closure and were held in cold 
storage by a dealer or processor (50 CFR 622.384(e)(2)).

Classification

    NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 622.388(a)(1), which was 
issued pursuant to section 304(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and is 
exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
    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 is unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. Such 
procedure is unnecessary because the regulations associated with the 
commercial quota and associated AM for Gulf king mackerel have already 
been subject to notice and public comment, and all that remains is to 
notify the public of the closure. Prior notice and opportunity for 
public comment on this action is contrary to the public interest 
because of the need to immediately implement the closure to protect the 
Gulf king mackerel resource. The capacity of the commercial fishing 
fleet allows for rapid harvest of the commercial quota, and any delay 
in the closure could result in the commercial quota being exceeded. 
Prior notice and opportunity for public comment would require time and 
would potentially result in a harvest that exceeds the commercial 
quota.
    For the previously stated reasons, there is good cause under 5 
U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in effectiveness of this 
action.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: February 25, 2022.
Ngagne Jafnar Gueye,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-04394 Filed 2-25-22; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


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