National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration April 21, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed temporary rule would replace a temporary rule made effective January 1, 2011, and implement interim measures to reduce overfishing of gag in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). This rule would reduce the commercial quota for gag and, thus, the combined commercial quota for shallow-water grouper species (SWG), and establish a 2-month recreational season for gag. This rule would also suspend red grouper multi-use allocation in the Gulf grouper and tilefish individual fishing quota (IFQ) program, as recommended 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.

The SEDAR assessments of the Caribbean stocks of silk snapper, queen snapper and redtail parrotfish will consist of a series of three workshops: a Data Workshop, an Assessment Workshop, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS proposes two actions in this rulemaking: An increase to the previously implemented scup commercial and recreational landing allowances for 2011 (specifications) and management measures for the 2011 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass recreational fisheries. Inclusion of the proposed scup specification increase in this rulemaking is necessary to provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the revised recommendation from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) to increase the commercial and recreational scup landing allowances for 2011. The recreational management measures are necessary to comply with the implementing regulations for these fisheries which require NMFS to publish recreational measures for the fishing year and to provide an opportunity for public comment. The intent of the scup increase is to permit greater commercial and recreational harvest opportunity while preventing overfishing on the scup stock. Recreational management measures are similarly intended to ensure that overfishing the summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass resources in 2011 is unlikely to occur.