NMFS implements accountability measures (AMs) for the recreational sector of golden tilefish in the South Atlantic for the 2012 fishing year through this temporary rule. Average recreational landings from 2010 and 2011 exceeded the recreational annual catch limit (ACL) for golden tilefish. To account for this overage and to prevent an overage in 2012, this rule reduces the length of the 2012 recreational fishing season and NMFS closes the recreational sector for golden tilefish on June 8, 2012. This closure is necessary to protect the golden tilefish resource.
This rule is effective 12:01 a.m., local time, June 8, 2012, until 12:01 a.m., local time, January 1, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the final rule for Amendment 17B to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP), (Amendment 17B), the Environmental Assessment for Amendment 17B, and other supporting documentation may be obtained from Catherine Bruger, NMFS, Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; telephone: 727-824-5305.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine Bruger, telephone: 727-824-5305, fax: 727-824-5308, email: Catherine.Bruger@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The snapper-grouper fishery of the South Atlantic, which includes golden tilefish, is managed under the FMP. The FMP was prepared by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and is implemented under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) by regulations at 50 CFR part 622.
Background
The 2006 reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act implemented
new requirements that ACLs and AMs be established to end overfishing
and prevent overfishing from occurring. AMs are management controls to
prevent ACLs from being exceeded, and to correct or mitigate overages
of the ACL if they occur.
The final rule for Amendment 17B established ACLs for eight
snapper-grouper species in the FMP undergoing overfishing, including
golden tilefish, and AMs to be implemented if these ACLs are reached or
exceeded (75 FR 82280, December 30, 2010).
The recreational ACL for golden tilefish, implemented through
Amendment 17B, is 1,578 fish. In accordance with regulations at 50 CFR
622.49(b)(1)(ii), if the ACL is exceeded, the Assistant Administrator,
NMFS (AA) will file notification with the Office of the Federal
Register to reduce the length of the following fishing season by the
amount necessary to ensure landings do not exceed the recreational
sector ACL in the following fishing year. Additionally, in accordance
with these regulations, the average of 2010 and 2011 recreational
landings are compared to the ACL. Finalized landings data from the NMFS
Southeast Fisheries Science Centerindicate that the recreational golden tilefish ACL was exceeded by
2,805 fish in 2010 and by 8,286 fish in 2011. Therefore, this temporary
rule implements an AM to reduce the fishing season for the recreational
golden tilefish component of the snapper-grouper fishery in 2012. NMFS
used the average landings from the 2010 and 2011 fishing years (5,546
fish) to determine a reduced recreational season for the 2012 fishing
year. Only the first two months of Marine Recreational Fisheries
Statistical Survey (MRFSS) data were available for 2012, with reported
landings of 1,012 fish. Because average 2010 and 2011 landings exceeded
the ACL, and 2012 landings are extremely close to the ACL after only
two months, AMs require the season to be shortened to prevent the ACL
from being exceeded. As a result of this reduced season, the
recreational sector for golden tilefish will be closed effective 12:01
a.m., local time June 8, 2012.
During the closure, the bag and possession limit for golden
tilefish in or from the South Atlantic exclusive economic zone is zero.
The recreational sector for golden tilefish will reopen on January 1,
2013, the beginning of the 2013 recreational fishing season.