[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 99 (Monday, May 23, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 31190-31191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-10974]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[Docket No. 1710319998630-02; RTID 0648-XB997]


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Snapper-Grouper Resources of the South Atlantic; 2022 Red Snapper 
Commercial and Recreational Fishing Seasons

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Temporary rule; 2022 fishing seasons notice.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the limited opening of commercial and 
recreational red snapper in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the 
South Atlantic for the 2022 fishing year. This notice announces the 
2022 red snapper commercial season opening date and the opening and 
closing dates for the red snapper recreational season, according to the 
accountability measures (AMs). This season announcement for South 
Atlantic red snapper allows fishers to maximize their opportunity to 
harvest the commercial and recreational annual catch limits (ACLs) 
while also managing harvest to protect the red snapper resource.

DATES: The 2022 commercial red snapper season opens at 12:01 a.m., 
local time, July 11, 2022, until 12:01 a.m., local time, January 1, 
2023, unless changed by subsequent notification in the Federal 
Register. The 2022 recreational red snapper season opens at 12:01 a.m., 
local time, on July 8, 2022, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on 
July 10, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Vara, NMFS Southeast Regional 
Office, telephone: 727-824-5305, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#92fff3e0ebbce4f3e0f3d2fcfdf3f3bcf5fde4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="610c0013184f17001300210f0e00004f060e17">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery 
includes red snapper and is managed under the Fishery Management Plan 
for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP). The 
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) prepared the FMP, 
and the FMP 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.
    For South Atlantic red snapper, the commercial AM requires the 
sector to

[[Page 31191]]

close when commercial landings reach or are projected to reach the 
commercial ACL. The recreational AM is the length of the recreational 
season, with NMFS projecting the season length based on catch rate 
estimates from previous years.
    The commercial ACL is 124,815 lb (56,615 kg), round weight, and in 
2021, NMFS closed the commercial sector on September 14 as a result of 
the commercial ACL being projected to be met (86 FR 50861; September 
13, 2021). Subsequent to the commercial closure NMFS determined that 
the commercial ACL had not been met and reopened the commercial sector 
for 4 days beginning on November 2, 2021 (86 FR 60373; November 2, 
2021). After the commercial 4-day reopening it was determined that in 
2021 the commercial ACL was exceeded by 3,305 lb (1,499 kg), round 
weight. The recreational ACL is 29,656 fish, and preliminary landings 
information show this ACL was exceeded in the 2021 3-day fishing season 
by 9,413 fish. For 2022, NMFS has determined that recreational landings 
are expected to reach the recreational ACL in a 2-day season.
    The commercial season for South Atlantic red snapper begins each 
year on the second Monday in July and closes when the commercial ACL is 
reached or is projected to be reached. Accordingly, the 2022 commercial 
season opens on July 11, 2022, and will remain open until 12:01 a.m., 
local time, on January 1, 2023, unless the commercial ACL is reached or 
projected to be reached prior to this date. During the commercial 
fishing season, the commercial trip limit is 75 lb (34 kg), gutted 
weight. NMFS will monitor commercial landings during the open season, 
and if commercial landings reach or are projected to reach the 
commercial ACL, then NMFS will file a notification with the Office of 
the Federal Register to close the commercial sector for red snapper for 
the remainder of the fishing year.
    The recreational season for South Atlantic red snapper begins on 
the second Friday in July. Accordingly, the 2022 recreational red 
snapper season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 8, 2022, and 
closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 10, 2022. During the 
recreational season, the recreational bag limit is one red snapper per 
person, per day. After the closure of the recreational sector, the bag 
and possession limits for red snapper are zero.
    There is not a red snapper minimum or maximum size limit for the 
commercial and recreational sectors during the open seasons.

Classification

    NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 622.183(b)(5)(i) and 
622.193(y), which were issued pursuant to section 304(b), 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 would be unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. 
Such procedures are unnecessary because the rule establishing the red 
snapper ACLs and AMs has already been subject to notice and comment, 
and all that remains is to notify the public of the respective 
commercial and recreational fishing seasons. In addition, providing 
prior notice and an opportunity for public comment is contrary to the 
public interest because the seasons begin in early July and announcing 
the length of the fishing seasons now allows each sector to prepare for 
the upcoming harvest, provides opportunity to for-hire fishing vessels 
to book trips that could increase their revenues and profits, and gives 
the South Atlantic states the time needed to prepare for their 
respective data collection needs for the season.
    For the aforementioned reasons, there is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 
553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in the effectiveness of this 
action.

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

    Dated: May 17, 2022.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-10974 Filed 5-20-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


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