[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 82 (Thursday, April 29, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 23026]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10701]
[[Page 23026]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[I.D. 042399D]
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
determined that the initial portion of the annual commercial quota for
red snapper was reached on April 15, 1999. This closure is necessary to
protect the red snapper resource.
DATES: Closure is effective noon, local time, April 15, 1999, until
noon, local time, September 1, 1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy Crabtree, 727-570-5305.
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 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, 1999. 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 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 determined that the available
commercial quota of 3.06 million lb (1.39 million kg) for red snapper
was reached when the fishery closed at noon on April 15, 1999.
Accordingly, the commercial fishery in the EEZ in the Gulf of Mexico
for red snapper will remain closed until noon, local time, on September
1, 1999. The operator of a vessel with a valid reef fish permit having
red snapper aboard must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such
red snapper prior to noon, local time, April 15, 1999.
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 noon, local time, April 15, 1999, 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 23, 1999.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-10701 Filed 4-26-99; 2:08 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F