[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 27, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 21213-21214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06525]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[Docket No. 130403320-4891-02; RTID 0648-XD749]


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; 2024-2025 Recreational 
Fishing Season for Black Sea Bass

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; recreational fishing season.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the recreational fishing season for black 
sea bass in South Atlantic Federal waters will extend throughout the 
species' 2024-2025 fishing year. Announcing the length of recreational 
fishing season for black sea bass is one of the accountability measures 
(AMs) for the recreational sector. This announcement allows 
recreational fishers to maximize their opportunity to harvest the 
recreational annual catch limit (ACL) for black sea bass while NMFS 
manages harvest to protect the black sea bass resource.

DATES: This temporary rule is effective from April 26, 2024, through 
March 31, 2025.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nikhil Mehta, NMFS Southeast Regional 
Office, telephone: 727-824-5305, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery 
includes black sea bass south of 35[deg]15.19' N latitude, due east of 
Cape Hatteras Light, North Carolina, and is managed under the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic 
Region (FMP). The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and NMFS 
prepared the FMP, and NMFS implements the FMP under the authority of 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act) by regulations at 50 CFR part 622. Black

[[Page 21214]]

sea bass is not managed by the FMP or regulated by 50 CFR part 622 
north of 35[deg]15.19' N latitude in South Atlantic Federal waters, the 
latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, North Carolina; black sea bass north 
of 35[deg]15.19' N latitude is regulated by 50 CFR part 648.
    The recreational fishing year for black sea bass is April 1 through 
March 31. One of the recreational AMs for black sea bass requires that 
before the April 1 start date of each recreational fishing year, NMFS 
will project the length of the recreational fishing season based on 
when NMFS projects recreational landings of black sea bass will reach 
its ACL, and announce the recreational season end date in the Federal 
Register [50 CFR 622.193(e)(2)]. The purpose of this AM is to allow 
recreational fishermen to maximize their opportunities to harvest the 
recreational ACL through a more predictable recreational season while 
NMFS manages harvest within the recreational ACL to protect the stock 
from experiencing adverse biological consequences.
    The recreational ACL for black sea bass during the 2024-2025 
fishing year is 310,602 pounds (lb) or 140,887 kilograms (kg) in gutted 
weight, or 366,510 lb (166,246 kg) in round weight [50 CFR 
622.193(e)(2)].
    NMFS estimates that recreational landings of black sea bass during 
the 2024-2025 fishing year will be less than the 2024-2025 recreational 
ACL. To make this determination, NMFS compared recreational landings of 
black sea bass in the last 3 fishing years with available data (2020-
2021 through 2022-2023) to the recreational ACL for the 2024-2025 
fishing year. Recreational landings in each of these past 3 fishing 
years have been less than the 2024-2025 recreational ACL, and NMFS 
expects similar landings for the 2024-2025 fishing season. Therefore, 
because NMFS projects that the recreational landings of black sea bass 
will be less than the 2024-2025 recreational ACL, NMFS does not expect 
to close the recreational harvest of black sea bass during the fishing 
year. Accordingly, the season end date for the recreational harvest of 
black sea bass in South Atlantic Federal waters is March 31, 2025.

Classification

    NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 622.193(e)(2), issued 
pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempt from review under Executive 
Order 12866.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior 
notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice 
and comment is unnecessary. Such procedures are unnecessary because the 
rule establishing the recreational AM has already been subject to 
notice and comment, and all that remains is for NMFS to notify the 
public of the recreational season length.

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

    Dated: March 22, 2024.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-06525 Filed 3-26-24; 8:45 am]
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