[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 47 (Thursday, March 10, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 13122-13123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5521]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 110103005-1005-01]
RIN 0648-BA48
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Greater Amberjack Management
Measures
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is reopening the comment period to provide additional
opportunity for public comment on the proposed rule that would
implement a seasonal closure for the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) greater
amberjack recreational sector. The reopening of the comment period is
to ensure that the public fully understands the intent of the greater
amberjack regulatory amendment. NMFS is reopening the comment period
for the proposed rule on March 10, 2011 and it will remain open through
March 25, 2011. The intended effect of the proposed rule is to mitigate
the social and economic impacts associated with implementing in-season
closures.
DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule that published on
January 24, 2011 (76 FR 4084), and closed on February 23, 2011, will
reopen on March 10, 2011 and remain open through March 25, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the proposed rule identified by
0648-BA48 by any of the following methods:
Electronic submissions: Submit electronic comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Rich Malinowski, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS,
263 13th Avenue, South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public record
and will generally be posted to http://
[[Page 13123]]
www.regulations.gov without change. All Personal Identifying
Information (for example, name, address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by
the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.
To submit comments through the Federal e-rulemaking portal: http://www.regulations.gov, enter ``NOAA-NMFS-2010-0281'' in the keyword
search, then check the box labeled ``Select to find documents accepting
comments or submissions'', then select ``Send a comment or
submission''. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter N/A in the
required field if you wish to remain anonymous). You may submit
attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, Excel,
WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
Comments received through means not specified in this proposed rule
will not be considered.
Copies of the regulatory amendment, which includes an environmental
assessment (EA), an initial regulatory flexibility analysis (IRFA), and
a regulatory impact review, may be obtained from the Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council, 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa,
FL 33607; telephone 813-348-1630; fax 813-348-1711; e-mail
[email protected]; or may be downloaded from the Council's
Web site at: http://www.gulfcouncil.org/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rich Malinowski, 727-824-5305; fax:
727-824-5308.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The reef fish fishery of the Gulf of Mexico
is managed under the FMP. The FMP was prepared by the Council and is
implemented through regulations at 50 CFR part 622 under the authority
of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
(Magnuson-Stevens Act).
On January 24, 2011 (76 FR 4084), NMFS published a proposed rule to
establish a 2-month seasonal closure of the recreational sector for
greater amberjack within the Gulf reef fish fishery. Harvest and
possession of recreational greater amberjack would be prohibited in or
from the Gulf EEZ during the months of June and July each year. The
establishment of a recreational seasonal closure is intended to
mitigate the social and economic impacts associated with implementing
in-season closures.
Based on many of the comments received on the proposed rule, it
appears to NMFS that the intent of the proposed action was not
completely understood by the public. A number of commenters seem to
have the understanding that the intent of the recreational seasonal
closure is to reduce recreational harvest. In actuality, the proposed
recreational seasonal closure occurs during a peak time for greater
amberjack fishing, and is therefore projected to allow the recreational
sector to be open during the remainder of the fishing year, without the
necessity for additional in-season quota closures or implementation of
accountability measures. Many for-hire operators indicated to the
Council that the summer recreational seasonal closure was a preferred
closure alternative since it would allow the for-hire industry to
market greater amberjack as a trophy fish during the months their
preferred target species of red snapper was unavailable.
NMFS specifically invites public comment on the clarification of
the intent of the greater amberjack recreational seasonal closure.
Additionally, the reef fish for-hire industry has requested a reopening
of the comment period to allow industry additional time to submit
comments. Therefore, NMFS will reopen the public comment period on the
proposed rule on March 10, 2011 and it will remain open through March
25, 2011.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 4, 2011.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-5521 Filed 3-9-11; 8:45 am]
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