National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration November 15, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FY 2005 Appropriations Act (the Appropriations Act) authorized a capacity reduction program for the Longline Catcher Processor Subsector of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands non-pollock groundfish fishery (Reduction Fishery). Pursuant to this authorization, the Freezer Longline Conservation Cooperative (FLCC) conducted the bid selection process and submitted a reduction plan to NMFS to purchase a single latent permit within the Reduction Fishery. On September 24, 2012, the National Marine Fisheries Service published regulations for the second fishing capacity reduction program for this Reduction Fishery. NMFS conducted a successful referendum approving the reduction loan repayment fees of $2,700,000 which post-reduction harvesters will repay over a 30-year period. Accordingly, NMFS is preparing to tender a reduction payment to the accepted bidder and implement an industry fee collection system to repay the loan.

NMFS reopens the 2012 commercial sector for red snapper, gag, and all other South Atlantic Shallow-Water Grouper (SASWG) in the South Atlantic exclusive economic zone (EEZ). NMFS previously determined the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for red snapper would be reached by September 24, 2012, and closed the commercial sector for red snapper in the South Atlantic at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 24, 2012. Additionally, NMFS previously determined the commercial ACL for gag would be reached by October 20, 2012, and closed the commercial sector for gag and all other SASWG in the South Atlantic at 12:01 a.m., local time, on October 20, 2012. However, updated landings estimates indicate neither the commercial red snapper nor the commercial gag ACL has been reached at this time. Therefore, NMFS is reopening the commercial sector for red snapper, gag, and all other SASWG in the South Atlantic. The commercial sector for all of these species will reopen at 12:01 a.m., on November 13, 2012, and close at 12:01 a.m. on November 21, 2012. The intended effect of this temporary rule is to maximize harvest benefits for commercial red snapper, gag, and all other SASWG fishermen. Additionally, this reopening for red snapper provides an opportunity to collect fishery-dependent data that could be useful for the 2014 red snapper stock assessment.

The SEDAR assessments of the Caribbean stocks of blue tang and queen triggerfish will no longer have an in-person Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.