[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 76 (Tuesday, April 21, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21278-21279]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07745]
[[Page 21278]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF588]
Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; Request for an
Exempted Fishing Permit
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of an application for an exempted fishing
permit; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted
fishing permit (EFP) from Cultimar Technologies, Inc. (Cultimar). If
granted by NMFS, the EFP would authorize the applicant to collect 200
sexually mature American red snapper from Federal waters off the
Atlantic coast of Florida to establish a dedicated broodstock
population at a hatchery research facility in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The
project aims to establish a genetically diverse breeding population to
study the biology, physiology, and aquaculture potential of the
species, and to develop scalable fingerling production protocols for
the aquaculture industry.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before May 21, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the application, identified by
[NOAA-NMFS-2026-1057] by either of the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Visit https://www.regulations.gov and type [NOAA-NMFS-2026-1057], in the Search box.
Click the ``Comment'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments.
Mail: Submit written comments to Karla Gore, Southeast
Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period,
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on
https://www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous
comments--enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain
anonymous.
An electronic copy of the EFP application may be obtained from the
Southeast Regional Office website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/resources-fishing/cultimar-exempted-fishing-permit-red-snapper-collection-aquaculture.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karla Gore, 727-824-5305,
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EFP is requested under the authority of
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and regulations at 50 CFR
600.745(b) concerning exempted fishing.
The applicants seek to collect 200 sexually mature American red
snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) from South Atlantic Federal waters to
establish a self-sustaining broodstock population at their private
aquaculture hatchery and research facility in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
Currently, the expansion of the U.S. marine aquaculture industry
for warm-water fish species is limited by a lack of a source for
juvenile fish providers. The applicant has conducted academic research
previously to establish foundational husbandry for American red snapper
and larval rearing protocols. However, inconsistent spawning production
remains a barrier to commercial aquaculture of the species. The
applicant aims to expand on their previous research by creating a
genetically robust population for aquaculture of American red snapper
capable of year-round natural spawning. This project is intended to
provide the seed stock necessary to support future domestic grow-out
operations, reduce dependency on imported seafood, and generate data on
the effects of capture depth and handling on the long-term reproductive
performance of this species.
The project aims to advance American red snapper aquaculture
through a series of objectives centered on their collection,
acclimation, and research. Initially, the applicant will focus on
broodstock collection and transport, aiming to capture 200 healthy,
sexually mature American red snapper from South Atlantic Federal waters
off the east coast of Florida and relocate them by boat to Puerto Rico
while maintaining minimal mortality rates. This initial collection of
200 wild red snapper would allow Cultimar to establish 10 distinct
breeding cohorts of 20 fish each, thereby providing suitable genetic
variability for future breeding, which is intended to then allow for
year-round spawning at their aquaculture facility, and significantly
reduce the need for future collections of wild American red snapper.
The project seeks to determine and establish the long-term viability of
red snapper aquaculture by refining the methods necessary for
consistent and scalable fingerling production within the aquaculture
industry.
Cultimar proposes to collect American red snapper due to its high
aquaculture potential and the extensive foundational research already
conducted on the species. This species was chosen over other regional
snapper populations because of the applicant's familiarity with its
specific spawning behaviors and habitat locations, as well as the
higher relative abundance of the American red snapper population versus
other snapper species in the Caribbean. While another species of red
snapper, the Caribbean red snapper (Lutjanus purpureus), is found in
the waters around Puerto Rico and throughout areas of the Caribbean,
American red snapper represents a distinct population with unique life
history characteristics that may make it suitable for aquaculture.
Additionally, the applicant has significant experience conducting
academic research specifically on American red snapper, including
establishing critical protocols for husbandry, nutrition, and larval
rearing.
The capture of the project fish would occur from a research vessel
chartered by the applicant. The fishing for red snapper would be
conducted using spinning and conventional hook-and-line gear with
single-hook circle rigs. During red snapper collection, it is
anticipated that three to four hooks would be used at any one time with
the described fishing gear. To minimize barotrauma and negative effects
on fish health, fishing would prioritize harvest at shallow depths. On
a collection fishing trip, any bycatch or discards of non-target fish
that are landed displaying signs of barotrauma would be vented using
hypodermic needles prior to being released. Following capture, red
snapper would initially be transferred to live wells on the research
vessel that would be equipped with supplemental oxygenation. After the
fish in the live wells are assessed for suitability, they would be
transferred to larger holding tanks on the vessel equipped with
portable recirculating systems designed to maintain water chemistry and
animal health. The vessel would then transit to the applicant's
aquaculture hatchery in Puerto Rico. Once at the hatchery facility, the
[[Page 21279]]
applicant would transfer the collected red snapper to their shore-based
aquaculture tanks.
If approved, the applicant expects to be able to collect the 200
adult red snapper in 1 to 2 total fishing trips. Each trip would be
expected to last up to approximately 9 days consisting of about 4 days
of active fishing and 5 days of vessel transit. The collected adult red
snapper are expected to weigh between 5 to 15 pounds (lb) each (2.3 to
6.8 kilograms (kg)).
The applicant expects to fish for red snapper between May 2026 and
March 2027, although collection in November 2026 is their preferred
time. The area of collection would be in South Atlantic Federal waters
off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. The fishing collection effort
would focus on hard-bottom areas within a proposed collection polygon
defined by the following coordinates:
28[deg]51.740' North lat., 80[deg]25.061' West long.
28[deg]34.088' North lat., 80[deg]02.000' West long.
27[deg]51.955' North lat., 80[deg]11.565' West long.
27[deg]41.552' North lat., 79[deg]58.311' West long.
Water depths in the proposed sampling area range from approximately
50 to 200 feet (15.2 to 61.0 meters).
Upon arrival at the applicant's aquaculture facility in Arecibo,
Puerto Rico, the red snapper would be transferred to shore-based
aquaculture tanks where they would be maintained alive in a controlled,
recirculating aquaculture system. These fish would be used exclusively
for research on reproductive health and larval production and would not
be sold or transferred to any third party. While the facility may
eventually distribute or sell juvenile fish produced from these
research efforts to other aquaculture facilities, the original fish
collected under this EFP would remain at the aquaculture facility for
the duration of their life.
The applicant has requested exemptions from several Federal
regulations to conduct this project. The applicant has requested an
exemption from regulations requiring a commercial vessel permit for
South Atlantic snapper-grouper (50 CFR 622.170(a)(1)). The exemption
would allow the project's contracted research vessel to harvest and
possess red snapper in excess of the recreational bag limits without
having the snapper-grouper commercial permit. An exemption from the
area and seasonal closure regulations has been requested to allow the
collection of red snapper during optimal weather conditions and at any
time of the year and not just during the designated red snapper
commercial season (50 CFR 622.183(b)(5)). An exemption from the
commercial trip limits has been requested to allow for the collection
during a trip in excess of the red snapper commercial trip limit of 75
lb (34 kg), gutted weight (50 CFR 622.191(a)(9)). Lastly, the applicant
has requested an exemption from the red snapper annual catch limits and
accountability measures to ensure they have the flexibility they need
to collect fish at various times of the year and not just during the
designated red snapper season (50 CFR 622.193(y)(1)). The applicant has
not requested, and NMFS does not anticipate the need for, any
exemptions from regulations implementing the Puerto Rico Fishery
Management Plan as all they intend to do in the Puerto Rico exclusive
economic zone is transit in the project vessel from the collection area
in the Federal waters off Florida to their land-based aquaculture
facility in Puerto Rico.
NMFS finds the application warrants further consideration based on
a preliminary review. Possible conditions the agency may impose on the
EFP, if granted, include but are not limited to, special protections
for Endangered Species Act-listed species and specific reporting
requirements.
A final decision on issuance of the EFP will depend on NMFS' review
of public comments received on the application, consultations with the
appropriate fishery management agencies, and the U.S. Coast Guard, and
a determination that the activities are consistent with all other
applicable laws.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 17, 2026.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-07745 Filed 4-20-26; 8:45 am]
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