2020-05130. Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Re-Opening of Commercial Longline Fishery for South Atlantic Golden Tilefish

AGENCY:

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION:

Temporary rule; re-opening.

SUMMARY:

NMFS announces the re-opening of the commercial longline component for golden tilefish in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic through this temporary rule. The most recent commercial longline landings data for golden tilefish indicate the commercial longline annual catch limit (ACL) for the 2020 fishing year has not yet been reached. Therefore, NMFS re-opens the commercial longline component for golden tilefish in the South Atlantic EEZ for 9 days to allow the commercial longline ACL to be caught while minimizing the risk of the commercial ACL being exceeded.

DATES:

This temporary rule is effective from 12:01 a.m. eastern time on March 14, 2020, until 12:01 a.m. eastern time on March 23, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Vara, NMFS Southeast Regional Office, telephone: [phone], email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The snapper-grouper fishery of the South Atlantic includes golden tilefish and is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP). The FMP was prepared by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and is implemented by NMFS under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) by regulations at 50 CFR part 622.

The commercial sector for golden tilefish comprises the longline and hook-and-line components. The commercial golden tilefish ACL is allocated 75 percent to the longline component and 25 percent to the hook-and-line component. The commercial ACL (equivalent to the commercial quota) is 331,740 lb (150,475 kg) gutted weight, and the longline component quota is 248,805 lb (112,856 kg) gutted weight (50 CFR 622.190(a)(2)(iii).

Under 50 CFR 622.193(a)(1)(ii), NMFS is required to close the commercial longline component for golden tilefish when the longline component's commercial quota specified under 50 CFR 622.190(a)(2)(iii) is reached or is projected to be reached by filing a notification to that effect with the Office of the Federal Register. After the longline component quota is reached or is projected to be reached, golden tilefish may not be commercially fished or possessed by a vessel with a golden tilefish longline endorsement. NMFS previously determined that the commercial quota for the golden tilefish longline component in the South Atlantic would be reached by February 18, 2020. Therefore, NMFS published a temporary rule to close the commercial longline component for South Atlantic golden tilefish from February 18, 2020, through the end of the 2020 fishing year (85 FR 9398; February 19, 2020). However, a recent landings estimation indicates that the commercial longline ACL for golden tilefish has not been met.

In accordance with 50 CFR 622.8(c), NMFS temporarily re-opens the commercial longline component for golden tilefish on March 14, 2020. The commercial longline component will remain open for 9 days to allow for the commercial longline ACL to be reached. The commercial longline component will be closed from 12:01 a.m. eastern time on March 23, 2020, until January 1, 2021, the start of the next fishing year. NMFS has determined that this re-opening will allow for an additional opportunity to commercially harvest the golden tilefish longline component quota while minimizing the risk of exceeding the commercial ACL.

The operator of a vessel with a valid Federal commercial vessel permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper and a valid commercial longline endorsement for golden tilefish having golden tilefish on board must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such golden tilefish prior to 12:01 a.m. eastern time on March 23, 2020. During the subsequent commercial longline closure, golden tilefish may still be commercially harvested using hook-and-line gear while the hook-and-line component is open. However, a vessel with a golden tilefish longline endorsement is not eligible to fish for or possess golden tilefish using hook-and-line gear under the hook-and-line commercial trip limit, as specified in 50 CFR 622.191(a)(2)(ii). The operator of a vessel with a valid Federal commercial vessel permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper and a valid commercial longline endorsement for golden tilefish with golden tilefish on board must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such golden tilefish prior to 12:01 a.m. eastern time on March 23, 2020. During the commercial longline closure, the recreational bag limit and possession limits specified in 50 CFR 622.187(b)(2)(iii) and (c)(1), respectively, apply to all harvest or possession of golden tilefish in or from the South Atlantic EEZ by a vessel with a golden tilefish longline endorsement.

The sale or purchase of longline-caught golden tilefish taken from the South Atlantic EEZ is prohibited during the commercial longline closure. The prohibition on sale or purchase does not apply to the sale or purchase of longline-caught golden tilefish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m. eastern time on March 23, 2020, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor. Additionally, the recreational bag and possession limits and the sale and purchase provisions of the commercial closure apply to a person on board a vessel with a golden tilefish longline endorsement, regardless of whether the golden tilefish are harvested in state or Federal waters, as specified in 50 CFR 622.190(c)(1).

Classification

The Regional Administrator for the NMFS Southeast Region has determined this temporary rule is necessary for the conservation and management of South Atlantic golden tilefish and is consistent with the FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable laws.

This action is taken under 50 CFR 622.8(c) and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.

These measures are exempt from the procedures of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, because the temporary rule is issued without opportunity for prior notice and comment.

This action responds to the best scientific information available. The Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries (AA) finds that the need to immediately implement this action to re-open the commercial longline component for golden tilefish constitutes good cause to waive the requirements to provide prior notice and opportunity for public comment pursuant to the authority set forth in 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), as such procedures for this temporary rule would be unnecessary. Such procedures are unnecessary, because the applicable regulations have already been subject to notice and comment, and all that remains is to notify the public of the re-opening.

For the aforementioned reasons, the AA also finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in the effectiveness of this action under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3).

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: March 9, 2020.

Karyl K. Brewster-Geisz,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.