Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 222 / Monday, November 18, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 90625 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 622 

[Docket No. 140818679–5356–02; RTID 

0648–XE462] 

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of 

Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish 

Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; 

Reopening of the Red Snapper 

Recreational For-Hire Fishing Season 

in the Gulf of Mexico 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; reopening. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is reopening the 

recreational fishing season for the 

Federal charter vessel/headboat (forhire) component for red snapper in the 

exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the 

Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) through this 

temporary rule. The most recent 

landings data for the red snapper forhire component in the Gulf indicates the 

component annual catch target (ACT) 

for the 2024 fishing year has not yet 

been reached. Therefore, the red 

snapper recreational for-hire component 

in the Gulf EEZ will reopen to allow 

harvest of the remaining for-hire 

component ACT. NMFS intends this 

action to increase benefits to for-hire 

fishermen while protecting the Gulf red 

snapper resource by continuing to 

constrain harvest to the component 

quota. 

DATES: This temporary rule is effective 

from 12:01 a.m., local time, November 

18, 2024, through 12:01 a.m., local time, 

on January 1, 2025. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Frank Helies, NMFS Southeast Regional 

Office, telephone: 727–551–5719, email: 

frank.helies@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf 

reef fish fishery, which includes red 

snapper, is managed under the Fishery 

Management Plan for the Reef Fish 

Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP). 

The FMP was prepared by the Gulf of 

Mexico Fishery Management Council, 

approved by the Secretary of Commerce, 

and is implemented by NMFS under the 

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) by 

regulations at 50 CFR part 622. 

The final rule implementing 

Amendment 40 to the FMP established 

two components within the recreational 

sector fishing for Gulf red snapper: the 

private angling component and the 

Federal for-hire component (80 FR 

22422, April 22, 2015). Amendment 40 

also allocated the red snapper 

recreational annual catch limit (ACL; 

recreational quota) between the 

components and established separate 

seasonal closures for the two 

components. The Federal for-hire 

component’s red snapper ACT is 9 

percent below the for-hire component 

quota (87 FR 74014, December 2, 2022; 

50 CFR 622.41(q)(2)(iii)(B)). 

The red snapper for-hire component 

seasonal closure is projected using the 

component’s ACT to reduce the 

likelihood of the harvest exceeding the 

component quota and the total 

recreational quota. The Federal for-hire 

component ACT for red snapper in the 

Gulf EEZ is 3,076,322 pounds 

(lb)(1,395,396 kilograms (kg)), round 

weight (50 CFR 622.41(q)(2)(iii)(B)). 

NMFS previously determined that the 

2024 Federal Gulf red snapper for-hire 

fishing season would be 88 days based 

on when landings were expected to 

reach the component ACT. NMFS made 

this determination based on catch rates 

from the 2023 fishing year. For details 

about the projection for 2024, see 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/ 

southeast/sustainable-fisheries/gulfmexico-recreational-red-snappermanagement. Based on this projection, 

NMFS announced in the Federal 

Register that the 2024 recreational 

season for the Federal for-hire 

component would begin at 12:01 a.m., 

local time, on June 1, 2024, and close at 

12:01 a.m., local time, on August 28, 

2024 (89 FR 42815, May 16, 2024). 

However, the most recent landings 

data for the Gulf red snapper for-hire 

component indicate that approximately 

882,612 lb (400,346 kg), round weight, 

of the for-hire component ACT has not 

been harvested. NMFS projects that the 

remaining ACT will allow for harvest 

through the remainder of the current 

2024 fishing year. 

Therefore, in accordance with 50 CFR 

622.8(c), NMFS reopens the Gulf red 

snapper Federal for-hire component for 

remainder of the 2024 fishing year to 

allow for harvest of the component 

ACT. The recreational season for the 

Federal for-hire component will reopen 

at 12:01 a.m., local time, November 18, 

2024, and close at 12:01 a.m., local time, 

on January 1, 2025. When the for-hire 

component closes again on January 1, 

2025, the bag and possession limits for 

red snapper for Federal for-hire vessels 

are zero. When the Federal for-hire 

component is closed, these bag and 

possession limits apply in the Gulf on 

board a vessel for which a valid Federal 

for-hire permit for Gulf reef fish has 

been issued, without regard to where 

such species were harvested, i.e., in 

state or Federal waters. In addition, a 

person aboard a vessel that has been 

issued a charter vessel/headboat permit 

for Gulf reef fish any time during the 

fishing year may not harvest or possess 

red snapper in or from the Gulf EEZ 

when the Federal charter vessel/ 

headboat component is closed. 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act. This action is taken under 50 CFR 

622.8(c), which was issued pursuant to 

section 304(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act, and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866, and other 

applicable laws. 

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 is 

unnecessary and contrary to the public 

interest. Such procedures are 

unnecessary because the regulation at 

50 CFR 622.8(c) has already been 

subject to notice and comment, and all 

that remains is to notify the public that 

additional harvest is available under the 

established Federal for-hire component 

ACT, and therefore, the Federal for-hire 

component for Gulf red snapper will 

reopen. Such procedures are contrary to 

the public interest because of need to 

immediately implement this action to 

allow persons on board Federal for-hire 

vessels the opportunity to harvest the 

remainder of the Federal for-hire 

component ACT. Prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment would 

delay the re-opening and reduce the 

number available fishing days. 

For the aforementioned reasons, there 

is also 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: November 13, 2024. 

Karen H. Abrams, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–26828 Filed 11–13–24; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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