National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration April 3, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT) will hold a meeting, which is open to the public.

NMFS implements accountability measures (AMs) for commercial greater amberjack in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) reef fish fishery for the 2018 fishing year through this temporary rule. NMFS has determined greater amberjack landings have exceeded the 2018 commercial annual catch target (ACT). Therefore, the commercial sector fishing season for greater amberjack in the Gulf exclusive economic zone (EEZ) will not re-open on June 1, 2018, the end of the commercial seasonal closure, and the sector will remain closed until the start of the next commercial fishing season on January 1, 2019. This closure is necessary to protect the Gulf greater amberjack resource.

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in Abbreviated Framework Amendment 1 (Abbreviated Framework 1) to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). If implemented, this proposed rule would reduce the commercial and recreational annual catch limits (ACLs) for red grouper in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. The purpose of the proposed rule is to address the overfishing of red grouper.