[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 242 (Friday, December 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78245-78246]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32273]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA727


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery; South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper 
Fishery

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

ACTION: Notice of agency action.

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SUMMARY: NMFS, under the authority granted to the Secretary of Commerce 
(Secretary) under section 304(f) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), has designated 
the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council) 
as the responsible council to manage Nassau grouper in the Gulf of 
Mexico (Gulf) under the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-
Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Snapper-Grouper FMP). 
Prior to this designation, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 
Council (Gulf Council) was the responsible council to manage Nassau 
grouper from the fishery management unit in the FMP for Reef Fish 
Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Reef Fish FMP).

DATES: This action is effective on December 16, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Branstetter, (727) 824-5305; 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf Council has submitted a Generic 
Annual Catch Limits/Accountability Measures Amendment for the Gulf 
Council's Red Drum, Reef Fish, Shrimp, and Coral and Coral Reefs FMPs 
(Generic ACL Amendment) for purposes of review by the Secretary under 
the Magnuson-Stevens Act. A Notice of Availability for the Generic ACL 
Amendment was published in the Federal Register on September 26, 2011 
(76 FR 59373). A proposed Rule to implement the actions in the Generic 
ACL Amendment was published in the Federal Register on October 25, 2011 
(76 FR 66021). As part of this amendment, the Gulf Council has selected 
to remove Nassau grouper from the Reef Fish FMP. This proposed action 
is based on an October 20, 2010, letter from the South Atlantic Council 
informing the Gulf Council of its willingness to accept responsibility 
for managing Nassau grouper throughout South Atlantic and Gulf Federal 
waters. Prior to this designation, the South Atlantic Council solely 
managed Nassau grouper in its area of jurisdiction, in the South 
Atlantic, through the Snapper-Grouper FMP.
    In accordance with section 304(f) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, on 
September 16, 2011, the Gulf Council formally requested, through a 
letter, that the Secretary designate the South Atlantic Council as the 
responsible Council for the continued management of Nassau grouper in 
the Federal waters of the South Atlantic region and to manage the 
species in the Federal waters of the Gulf. NMFS agrees with designating 
management of Nassau grouper in the South Atlantic and Gulf Federal 
waters to the South Atlantic Council. Therefore, on October 18, 2011, 
NMFS published a notice in the Federal Register (76 FR 64327) 
requesting public comment on the proposed action through November 17, 
2011, on the Gulf Council's proposal.

[[Page 78246]]

    Prior to this designation, the harvest of Nassau grouper was 
prohibited in Federal waters by regulations implemented through the 
Reef Fish FMP in the Gulf and the Snapper-Grouper FMP in the South 
Atlantic. The harvest of Nassau grouper in Florida state waters is 
prohibited by the applicable Florida regulations. With the approval and 
implementation of the Gulf Council's Generic ACL Amendment, which 
proposes to remove Nassau grouper from the Reef Fish FMP, all 
harvesting restrictions for Nassau grouper in Federal waters of the 
Gulf would be removed. With this notice, the South Atlantic Council is 
designated as the responsible council for the management of Nassau 
grouper in the Gulf. The South Atlantic Council is expected to extend 
the prohibition on harvest of Nassau grouper in the Gulf. Any action to 
remove the current prohibitions in the Gulf will have a delayed 
effective date, so that it will be implemented simultaneously with a 
subsequent South Atlantic Council action to extend the harvest 
prohibition.
    No comments were received regarding the proposed action and 
therefore NMFS is proceeding with the change in designation of the 
responsible council for Nassau grouper in the Gulf.

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

    Dated: December 13, 2011.
 Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-32273 Filed 12-13-11; 4:15 pm]
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