[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 71 (Tuesday, April 14, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 18147-18148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9822]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

I.D. 040998A


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Closure of the Commercial Red 
Snapper Component

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

ACTION: Notice of closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS closes the commercial fishery for red snapper in the 
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico. NMFS has projected 
that the initial portion of the annual commercial quota for red snapper 
will be reached on April 12, 1998. This closure is necessary to protect 
the red snapper resource.

DATES: Closure is effective 12:01 a.m., local time, April 13, 1998, 
until noon, local time, on September 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Sadler, 813-570-5305.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The reef fish fishery of the Gulf of Mexico 
is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish 
Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP). The FMP was prepared by the Gulf 
of Mexico Fishery Management Council and is implemented under the 
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act by regulations at 50 CFR part 622. Those regulations set the 
commercial quota for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico at 4.65 million 
lb (2.11 million kg) for the current fishing year, January 1 through 
December 31, 1998. Those regulations split the red snapper commercial 
fishing season into two time periods, the first commencing at noon on 
February 1 with two-thirds of the annual quota (3.06

[[Page 18148]]

million lb (1.39 million kg)) available, and the second commencing at 
noon on September 1 with the remainder of the annual quota available. 
During the commercial season, the red snapper commercial fishery opens 
at noon on the first of each month and closes at noon on the 15th of 
each month, until the applicable commercial quotas are reached.
    Under 50 CFR 622.43(a), NMFS is required to close the commercial 
fishery for a species or species group when the quota for that species 
or species group is reached, or is projected to be reached, by 
publishing a notification to that effect in the Federal Register. Based 
on current statistics, NMFS has projected that the available commercial 
quota of 3.06 million lb (1.39 million kg) for red snapper will be 
reached on April 12, 1998. Accordingly, the commercial fishery in the 
EEZ in the Gulf of Mexico for red snapper is closed effective 12:01 
a.m., local time, April 13, 1998. The operator of a vessel with a valid 
reef fish permit having red snapper aboard must land and sell such red 
snapper prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, April 13, 1998. The commercial 
red snapper fishery may reopen at noon on September 1, 1998, if the 
results of NMFS' research on the effectiveness of bycatch reduction 
devices in shrimp trawls support a reopening of the commercial red 
snapper fishery at that time.
    During the closure, the bag and possession limits specified in 50 
CFR 622.39(b) apply to all harvest or possession of red snapper in or 
from the EEZ in the Gulf of Mexico, and the sale or purchase of red 
snapper taken from the EEZ is prohibited. In addition, the bag and 
possession limits for red snapper apply on board a vessel for which a 
commercial permit for Gulf reef fish has been issued, without regard to 
where such red snapper were harvested. However, the bag and possession 
limits for red snapper apply only when the recreational quota for red 
snapper has not been reached and the bag and possession limit has not 
been reduced to zero. The prohibition on sale or purchase does not 
apply to sale or purchase of red snapper that were harvested, landed 
ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, April 13, 1998, and 
were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.

Classification

    This action is taken under 50 CFR 622.43(a) and is exempt from 
review under E.O. 12866.

    Dated: April 9, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-9822 Filed 4-9-98; 2:38 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F