Saving Seafood

NOAA Announces Modifications to Gag, Black Grouper Regs in Gulf of Mexico

April 27, 2016 — NOAA Fisheries Announces Modifications to Gag and Black Grouper Recreational Management Measures in the Gulf of Mexico

Small Entity Compliance Guide

NOAA Fisheries has published a final rule changing gag and black grouper recreational management measures in the Gulf of Mexico. These changes include:

  • An increase in the gag recreational minimum size limit from 22 inches total length to 24 inches total length.
  • An increase in the black grouper recreational minimum size limit from 22 inches total length to 24 inches total length.
  • A lengthening of the gag recreational fishing season from July 1 – December 2, to June 1 – December 31.

Need for Action:
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has chosen to increase the recreational minimum size limits for gag and black grouper from 22 inches total length to 24 inches total length. This increase is expected to provide more opportunity for gag and black grouper to mature before entering the fishery, and creates consistent recreational size regulations with those developed by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and State of Florida for gag and black grouper.

Read the full story at The Fishing Wire

NOAA Fisheries Announces New Regulations for Snapper-Grouper and Golden Crab in the South Atlantic, and Dolphin and Wahoo in the Atlantic Region

January 25, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

The final rule for the Generic Accountability Measures and Dolphin Allocation Amendment including: Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, Amendment 9 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Golden Crab of the South Atlantic Region, and Amendment 8 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic published in the Federal Registrar on January 22, 2016 (81 FR 3731). Regulations will be effective on February 22, 2016.

The final rule:

Revises commercial and recreational sector allocations, and annual catch limits for dolphin in the South Atlantic. The commercial sector allocation for dolphin will increase from 7.54% to 10%, and the commercial annual catch limit will increase from 1,157,001 to 1,534,485 pounds whole weight. The recreational sector allocation for dolphin will change from 92.46% to 90%, and the annual catch limit will change from 14,187,845 to 13,810,361 pounds whole weight.

Revises the accountability measures for black grouper, mutton snapper, yellowtail snapper, greater amberjack, red porgy, gag, golden tilefish, red grouper, snowy grouper, gray triggerfish, hogfish, scamp, Atlantic spadefish, bar jack, the other snappers complex, the other jacks complex, the other shallow-water grouper complex, the other porgies complex; wreckfish (recreational), and golden crab (commercial).

Accountability measures are ways fishery managers prevent annual catch limits from being exceeded and to correct overages of the catch limits if they do occur. These measures can include in-season closures, and post-season paybacks, such as reducing the length of the next fishing season or reducing the annual catch limit in the next fishing season. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more detailed information on accountability measures for the commercial and recreational sectors.

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

For more information on the final rule for the Generic Accountability Measures and Dolphin Allocation Amendment, please follow this link to the Frequently Asked Questions.

Trip Limit Decreased to 500 Pounds per Trip for Commercial Harvest of Gag in the South Atlantic

October 13, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Trip Limit Decreased to 500 Pounds per Trip for Commercial Harvest of Gag in the South Atlantic

The daily trip limit for the commercial harvest of gag in the South Atlantic is reduced from 1,000 pounds gutted weight to 500 pounds gutted weight, effective 12:01 a.m. (local time) October 18, 2015. NOAA Fisheries has determined 75 percent of the quota of 295,459 pounds gutted weight has been landed.

Reduction of the commercial gag trip limit in the South Atlantic complies with regulations implemented under the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region. The 500-pound gutted weight trip limit applies to vessels with a South Atlantic Unlimited Snapper-Grouper Permit fishing for gag in or from the federal waters in the South Atlantic region. The 500-pound gutted weight trip limit will remain in effect until the quota is reached and gag closes or until the end of the current 2015 fishing season, whichever occurs first.