National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration October 18, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS issues this proposed temporary rule that would implement interim measures to reduce overfishing of gag in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). This proposed rule would reduce the commercial quota for gag and, thus, the combined commercial quota for shallow-water grouper species (SWG), prohibit recreational harvest of gag, and suspend red grouper multi-use allocation in the Gulf grouper and tilefish individual fishing quota (IFQ) program, as requested by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). The intended effect of this proposed rule is to reduce overfishing of the gag resource in the Gulf.

On June 28, 2010, NMFS published in the Federal Register the final rule to implement Framework Adjustment 21 (Framework 21) to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (Scallop FMP), which established management measures for the 2010 scallop fishing year (FY). Following publication, NMFS identified errors, omissions, and possible need for clarification of some provisions. In addition to certain technical and wording clarifications, the Framework 21 final rule inadvertently did not incorporate a proposed regulatory provision pertaining to how scallop access area trip overages incurred during the interim period between the March 1, 2010, start of the fishing year (FY) and the implementation of Framework 21 FY 2010 management measures would be applied to FY 2011. This provision was described in the proposed rule and NMFS subsequently responded to specific comments on this provision and provided greater detail of this measure in the preamble of the final rule. However, the regulatory text was inadvertently excluded. In addition, the Framework 21 final rule inadvertently deleted regulations pertaining to limited access general category (LAGC) possession and landing limits promulgated in the final rule implementing Amendment 11 to the Scallop FMP that published in the Federal Register on April 24, 2008. This correcting amendment corrects these errors.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Committee in November 2010 to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The SEDAR 22 assessments of the Gulf of Mexico stocks of yellowedge grouper and tilefish will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: A Data Workshop, a series of Assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.