Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 210 / Wednesday, October 30, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 86285 

Issued in Washington, DC, under authority 

delegated in 49 CFR 1.95 and 501.5. 

Sophie Shulman, 

Deputy Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24462 Filed 10–29–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 622 

[Docket Nos. 090206140–91081–03 and 

120405260–4258–02; RTID 0648–XE422] 

Revised Reporting Requirements Due 

to Catastrophic Conditions for Federal 

Seafood Dealers, Individual Fishing 

Quota Dealers, and Charter Vessels 

and Headboats in Portions of Florida 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; determination 

of catastrophic conditions. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

regulations implementing the individual 

fishing quota (IFQ) and Federal dealer 

reporting specific to the commercial reef 

fish fishery in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) 

and the coastal migratory pelagic (CMP) 

fisheries in the Gulf, the Regional 

Administrator (RA), Southeast Region, 

NMFS has determined that the 

catastrophic conditions caused by 

Hurricane Helene in the Gulf for certain 

Florida counties still exist. This 

temporary rule authorizes in the 

described affected area any dealer who 

does not have access to electronic 

reporting to delay reporting of dealer 

reports (trip tickets), any Southeast 

Region Headboat Survey (SRHS) 

program participant to delay reporting 

electronic logbooks, and authorizes IFQ 

dealers within the affected area to use 

paper-based forms, if necessary, for 

basic required administrative functions, 

e.g., landing transactions. This 

temporary rule is intended to facilitate 

continuation of IFQ and dealer reporting 

operations during the period of 

catastrophic conditions. 

DATES: The RA is authorizing Federal 

dealers, for-hire electronic reporting 

program participants, and IFQ dealers in 

the affected area to use revised reporting 

methods from November 2, 2024, 

through December 1, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: IFQ 

Customer Service, Britni Lavine, 

telephone: 866–425–7627, email: 

nmfs.ser.catchshare@noaa.gov. Federal 

dealer reporting, Fisheries Monitoring 

Branch, telephone: 305–361–4581. 

NMFS Southeast For-Hire Integrated 

Electronic Reporting Program: 1–833– 

707–1632. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The reef 

fish fishery of the Gulf is managed 

under the Fishery Management Plan 

(FMP) for Reef Fish Resources of the 

Gulf of Mexico (Reef Fish FMP), 

prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 

Management Council (Gulf Council). 

The CMP fishery is managed under the 

FMP for CMP Resources in the Gulf of 

Mexico and Atlantic Region (CMP 

FMP), prepared by the Gulf Council and 

South Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council. Both FMPs are implemented 

through regulations at 50 CFR part 622 

under the authority of the Magnuson 

Stevens Fishery Conservation and 


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86286 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 210 / Wednesday, October 30, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

Management Act (Magnuson Stevens 

Act). 

The Generic Dealer Amendment 

established Federal dealer reporting 

requirements for federally permitted 

dealers in the Gulf and South Atlantic 

(79 FR 19490, April 9, 2014). The 

Headboat Reporting Framework Action 

established the SRHS electronic 

reporting program (79 FR 6097, 

February 3, 2014). Amendment 26 to the 

Reef Fish FMP established an IFQ 

program for the commercial red snapper 

component of the Gulf reef fish fishery 

(71 FR 67447, November 22, 2006). 

Amendment 29 to the Reef Fish FMP 

established an IFQ program for the 

commercial grouper and tilefish 

components of the Gulf reef fish fishery 

(74 FR 44732, August 31, 2009). 

Regulations implementing these dealer 

reporting requirements, SRHS reporting 

requirements, and IFQ programs require 

that Federal dealers, SHRS participants, 

and IFQ participants have access to a 

computer and the internet. However, 

these regulations also specify that 

during catastrophic conditions, as 

determined by the RA, the RA may 

waive or modify the reporting time 

requirements for Federal dealers and 

SRHS participants, and authorize both 

Federal dealers and IFQ participants to 

use paper-based forms to complete 

administrative functions for the 

duration of the catastrophic conditions. 

The RA must determine that 

catastrophic conditions exist, specify 

the duration of the catastrophic 

conditions, and specify which 

participants or geographic areas are 

deemed affected. 

Hurricane Helene made landfall in the 

U.S. in Taylor County, Florida, in the 

Gulf as a Category 4 hurricane on 

September 26, 2024. Strong winds and 

flooding from this hurricane impacted 

communities along coastal Florida in 

the Gulf. This resulted in power outages 

and damage to homes, businesses, and 

infrastructure. The RA previously 

authorized Federal dealers and Federal 

for-hire operators in several counties in 

Florida and Georgia to delay reporting 

of trip tickets and for-hire logbooks to 

NMFS, and IFQ participants in this 

affected area to use paper-based forms, 

from October 2, 2024, through 

November 1, 2024 (89 FR 81031, 

October 7, 2024). The RA has 

determined that catastrophic conditions 

continue to exist in the Gulf for the 

Florida counties of Taylor, Dixie, and 

Levy and is authorizing Federal dealers 

and SRHS program participants to delay 

electronic reporting to NMFS and IFQ 

participants in these counties to use 

paper-based forms through December 1, 

2024. NMFS will provide additional 

notification to affected dealers, SHRS 

participants, and IFQ participants via 

NOAA Weather Radio, Fishery 

Bulletins, and other appropriate means. 

NMFS will continue to monitor and reevaluate the areas and duration of the 

catastrophic conditions, as necessary. 

Dealers may delay electronic 

reporting of trip tickets to NMFS during 

catastrophic conditions. Dealers are to 

report all landings to NMFS as soon as 

possible. Assistance for Federal dealers 

in the affected area is available from the 

NMFS Fisheries Monitoring Branch at 

1–305–361–4581. SRHS program 

participants may delay electronic 

reporting of logbooks to NMFS during 

catastrophic conditions. SRHS 

participants are to report all logbooks to 

NMFS as soon as possible. NMFS 

previously provided Federal dealers and 

IFQ participants with the necessary 

paper forms and instructions for 

submission in the event of catastrophic 

conditions. Paper forms are also 

available from the RA upon request. The 

electronic systems for submitting 

information to NMFS will continue to 

be available to all dealers, and dealers 

in the affected area are encouraged to 

continue using these systems, if 

accessible. 

The administrative program functions 

available to IFQ participants in the area 

affected by catastrophic conditions will 

be limited under the paper-based 

system. There will be no mechanism for 

transfers of IFQ shares or allocation 

under the paper-based system in effect 

during catastrophic conditions. 

Assistance in complying with the 

requirements of the paper-based system 

will be available via the NMFS Catch 

Share Support line, 1–866–425–7627 

Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. 

and 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time. 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act. This action is consistent with the 

regulations in 50 CFR 622.5(c)(1)(iii), 

622.21(a)(3)(iii), 622.22(a)(3)(iii), 

622.26(b)(3) (2020), and 622.374(b)(3) 

(2020), which were issued pursuant to 

section 304(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act, 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 are 

unnecessary and contrary to the public 

interest. Such procedures are 

unnecessary because the final rules 

implementing the Gulf SRHS and 

Federal dealer reporting requirements 

and the Gulf IFQ programs, have already 

been subject to notice and public 

comment. These rules authorize the RA 

to determine when catastrophic 

conditions exist, and which participants 

or geographic areas are deemed affected 

by catastrophic conditions. The final 

rules also authorize the RA to provide 

timely notice to affected participants via 

publication of notification in the 

Federal Register, NOAA Weather Radio, 

Fishery Bulletins, and other appropriate 

means. All that remains is to notify the 

public that catastrophic conditions 

exist, that Federal dealers and IFQ 

participants may use paper forms, and 

that Federal dealers and SRHS 

participants may submit delayed 

reports. Such procedures are also 

contrary to the public interest because 

of the need to immediately implement 

this action because affected dealers 

continue to receive these species in the 

affected area and fishermen continue to 

operate, and both need a means of 

completing their landing transactions 

and logbook reports. With the power 

outages and damages to infrastructure 

that have occurred in the affected area 

due to Hurricane Helene, numerous 

businesses are unable to complete 

landings transactions, fishing reports, 

and dealer reports electronically. In 

order to continue with their businesses, 

IFQ participants need to be aware they 

can report using the paper forms, and 

Federal dealers and SRHS participants 

need to be aware that they can delay 

reporting. 

For the aforementioned reasons, there 

is good cause to waive the 30-day delay 

in the effectiveness of this action under 

5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). 

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

Dated: October 25, 2024. 

Karen H. Abrams, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–25200 Filed 10–25–24; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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