National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
Final rule.
NMFS issues regulations to implement management measures described in a framework action to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule withholds 4.9 percent of the 2016 red snapper commercial quota prior to the annual distribution of red snapper allocation to the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program shareholders on January 1, 2016. This final rule allows the allocations being established through Amendment 28 to the FMP (Amendment 28) to be effective for the 2016 fishing year should Amendment 28 be approved by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) in 2016. This final rule also makes a technical correction to re-insert regulatory text that a previous rulemaking inadvertently omitted, which specifies that the recreational annual catch limit (ACL) for red snapper is equal to the total recreational quota.
This rule is effective December 28, 2015.
Electronic copies of the framework action, which includes an environmental assessment, a regulatory impact review, and a Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) analysis may be obtained from the Southeast Regional Office (SERO) Web site at
Richard Malinowski, NMFS SERO, telephone: 727-824-5305, or email:
The Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) reef fish fishery is managed under the FMP. The FMP was prepared by the Council and is implemented by NMFS through regulations at 50 CFR part 622 under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
On October 19, 2015, NMFS published a proposed rule for the framework action and requested public comment (80 FR 63190). The proposed rule and the framework action outline the rationale for the actions contained in this final rule. A summary of the actions implemented by the framework action and this final rule is provided below.
This final rule withholds 4.9 percent of the 2016 red snapper commercial quota, equal to 352,000 lb (159,665 kg), round weight, and 317,117 lb (143,842 kg), gutted weight, prior to the annual distribution of allocation to the IFQ program shareholders on January 1, 2016. The framework procedures of the FMP include the authority to retain a portion of an annual quota in anticipation of future regulatory changes during the same fishing year. This final rule allows the allocations being
This final rule fixes an error in § 622.41(q)(2)(i) for the recreational sector of Gulf red snapper. This final rule re-inserts a sentence of regulatory text originally published in the final rule implementing Amendment 40 to the FMP (80 FR 22422, April 22, 2015), which specifies that the recreational ACL for red snapper is equal to the total recreational quota. The regulatory text was inadvertently omitted in a subsequent correcting amendment (80 FR 58219, September 28, 2015) to a final rule for a framework action that increased the commercial and recreational quotas for Gulf red snapper in the 2015, 2016, and 2017 fishing years (80 FR 24832, May 1, 2015). This final rule corrects the error by re-inserting the regulatory text into § 622.41(q)(2)(i). This action is unrelated to the actions described in this framework action.
NMFS received 46 comment submissions from individuals, commercial fishermen, and a commercial fishermen's association on the framework action and the proposed rule, along with other issues. Many of the comments NMFS received were about Amendment 28 and alternative management strategies for red snapper, for example, expanding state waters and advocating for state rather than Federal management. Such comments were beyond the scope of the proposed rule and, therefore, have not been addressed in this final rule. The comments that relate to the framework action and the proposed rule are summarized and responded to below.
The Regional Administrator, Southeast Region, NMFS has determined that this final rule is consistent with the framework action, the FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable law.
This final rule has been determined to be not significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act provides the statutory basis for this rule. No duplicative, overlapping, or conflicting
The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce (DOC) certified to the Chief Counsel for advocacy of the Small Business Administration (SBA) during the proposed rule stage that this action would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The factual basis for this determination was published in the proposed rule and is not repeated here. NMFS received no significant comments regarding the certification. However, one general comment on the expected economic effects of this rule is addressed in the Comments and Response section of this rule. As a result, a final regulatory flexibility analysis was not required and was not prepared.
As discussed in the background section of this final rule, this rule also re-inserts a sentence of regulatory text originally published in the final rule implementing Amendment 40 (80 FR 22422, April 22, 2015). The regulatory text was inadvertently omitted in a subsequent correcting amendment (80 FR 58219, September 28, 2015) to a final rule that implemented a framework amendment for red snapper in the Gulf reef fish fishery (80 FR 24832, May 1, 2015). The DOC Chief Counsel for Regulation certified to the Chief Counsel for advocacy of the SBA that the final rules implementing both Amendment 40 and the framework amendment would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The re-insertion of this regulatory text is not expected to have direct adverse economic effects on a substantial number of small entities because it is an administrative correcting action. The final rule that originally published the regulation was certified to not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities, and the public may believe the omitted text is already included in the regulations. This change is needed to ensure that the public is aware of the correct recreational harvest limit (quota) and accountability measures for recreationally-caught Gulf red snapper.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, finds good cause to waive prior notice and opportunity for additional public comment for this correcting action because it would be unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. Such procedures are unnecessary because the public received notice and an opportunity to comment on the proposed rules for the framework amendment and Amendment 40 and the final rule for Amendment 40 included this regulatory text. This final rule reinstates the regulatory text that was inadvertently omitted from the correcting amendment that published on September 28, 2015 (80 FR 58219). If this final rule was delayed to allow for notice and opportunity for public comment, it could cause confusion because the public believes that the omitted text is already included in the regulations.
Commercial, Fisheries, Fishing, Gulf of Mexico, Recreational, Red snapper, Reef fish.
For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 622 is amended as follows:
16 U.S.C. 1801
(a) * * *
(1) * * *
(i) * * *
(B) * * *
(
(
(q) * * *
(2) * * *
(i) The recreational ACL is equal to the total recreational quota specified in § 622.39(a)(2)(i)(A). The AA will determine the length of the red snapper recreational fishing season, or recreational fishing seasons for the Federal charter vessel/headboat and private angling components, based on when recreational landings are projected to reach the recreational ACT, or respective recreational component ACT specified in paragraph (q)(2)(iii) of this section, and announce the closure date(s) in the