National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration June 13, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council) has submitted Amendment 42 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, Amendment 42 would add three new devices as options for fishermen with Federal commercial or charter vessel/ headboat permits for South Atlantic snapper-grouper to meet existing requirements for sea turtle release gear, and would simplify and clarify the requirements for other sea turtle release gear. Amendment 42 would also modify the FMP framework procedure to allow for future changes to release gear and handling requirements for sea turtles and other protected resources. The purpose of Amendment 42 is to allow the use of new devices to safely handle and release incidentally captured sea turtles, clarify existing requirements, and streamline the process for making changes to the release devices and handling procedures for sea turtles and other protected species.