Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/10/27/2011-27741/fisheries-of-the-caribbean-gulf-of-mexico-and-south-atlantic-amendments-to-the-queen-conch-and-reef
Timestamp: 2014-04-20 19:26:09
Document Index: 267336537

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 622', '§ 622', '§ 622', '§ 622', '§ 622', '§ 622', 'art 622', '§ 622', '§ 622', '§ 622', 'art 622', 'art 622']

Federal Register | Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Amendments to the Queen Conch and Reef Fish Fishery Management Plans of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Dates: Written comments must be received on or before November 18, 2011.
-66681 (7 pages)
Shorter URL: https://federalregister.gov/a/2011-27741 Related Topics
Amendment 2 to the FMP for the Queen Conch Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and Amendment 5 to the Reef Fish FMP of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands 3 actions from December 2011 to January 2012
The black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) is not included in any of the units although this species is frequently caught by recreational anglers. This rule would add black grouper to Grouper Unit 4 along with other members of that unit with common habitat and depth preferences. Both misty (Epinephelus mystacinus) and yellowedge (E. flavolimbatus) grouper are presently included in Grouper Unit 4, but these two species are found at water depths much greater than are the other members of Grouper Unit 4. Therefore, the Council and NMFS propose to create a new Grouper Unit 5 that would contain both misty and yellowedge grouper. Finally, the creole-fish (Paranthias furcifer) is proposed to be removed from the FMP. An adjusted average of about 15 lb (6.8 kg) of creole-fish was reported to have been landed by the commercial sector between 1983 and 2007, and no recreational landings have been reported between 2000 and 2007. The Council determined that this species was not in need of Federal conservation and management.
The AMs proposed in this rule are designed to prevent fishermen from exceeding the snapper, grouper, and parrotfish ACLs. For AMs, two components are considered, the first identifies the conditions under which AMs would be triggered and the second describes the action(s) that would occur if AMs are triggered. This rule triggers AMs if NMFS' SEFSC determines that an ACL has been exceeded based on a moving multi-year average of landings as described in the FMP. Both commercial and recreational landings of a species, unit, or complex vary substantially from year to year; applying a multi-year average is intended to address that variability. The rule would reduce the length of the fishing season for the affected species, unit or complex the year following any year it is determined that the ACL was exceeded by the amount needed to prevent such an overage from occurring again. The AM is triggered unless NMFS' SEFSC, in consultation with the Council and its SSC, determines the overage occurred because data collection and monitoring improved, rather than because catches actually increased. In such circumstances NMFS and the Council would review the relevant information and take further action as appropriate.
In 2008, there were 868 active commercial fishermen in Puerto Rico; 74 percent of these fishermen were captains and the remaining 26 percent were crew members. The IRFA assumes each captain represents a small business in the Finfish Fishing Industry and each member of the crew an employee of one of those businesses. Therefore, it is concluded that there are 638 small businesses in the Finfish Fishing Industry in Puerto Rico, and potentially all of these businesses could be directly affected by the proposed rule. In 2008, there were 223 licensed commercial fishermen in St. Croix and 160 in St. Thomas/St. John. There is a moratorium on the number of USVI commercial fishing licenses, so the IRFA assumes the 223 commercial fishermen in St. Croix and 160 commercial fishermen in St. Thomas/St. John represent 383 small businesses in the Finfish Fishing Industry in the USVI that could be directly affected by the proposed rule.
Among the considered but rejected significant alternatives for Action 5A, which addresses the triggering of AMs, were Alternatives 2A and 3A, which would use a single year's landings to trigger the AMs. Also considered but rejected were Alternatives 2B and 3B that would use a single year's landings in 2010 and then use a 2-year annual average starting in 2011 and continue it thereafter to trigger the AMs. Preferred Alternative 3C and Alternative 2C would use a 3-year average starting in 2012 and continue it thereafter. The adverse economic impact of Preferred Alternative 3C is less than the adverse economic impacts of rejected Alternatives 2B, 3B, 2A and 3A because it would likely result in fewer shortened fishing seasons as a result of triggering AMs.
Deputy Assistant Administratorfor Regulatory Programs,National Marine Fisheries Service.
2. In § 622.32, paragraph (b)(1)(v) is added to read as follows:
3. In § 622.33, paragraph (d)(1) is revised to read as follows:
(1) Pursuant to the procedures and criteria established in the FMP for Queen Conch Resources in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, when the ACL, as specified in § 622.49(c)(2)(i)(A), is reached or projected to be reached, the Regional Administrator will close the Caribbean EEZ to the harvest and possession of queen conch, in the area east of 64°34′ W. longitude which includes Lang Bank, east of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, by filing a notification of closure with the Office of the Federal Register.
4. In § 622.39, paragraph (g) is added to read as follows:
5. In § 622.48, paragraph (b) is revised and paragraph (m) is added to read as follows:
6. In § 622.49, the section heading is revised and paragraph (c) is added to read as follows:
(c) Caribbean island management areas. If landings from a Caribbean island management area, as specified in Appendix E to part 622, except for landings of queen conch (see § 622.33(d)), are estimated by the SRD to have exceeded the applicable ACL, as specified in paragraph (c)(1) of this section for Puerto Rico management area species or species groups, paragraph (c)(2) of this section for St. Croix management area species or species groups, or paragraph (c)(3) for St. Thomas/St. John management area species or species groups, the AA will file a notification with the Office of the Federal Register, at or near the beginning of the following fishing year, to reduce the length of the fishing season for the applicable species or species groups that year by the amount necessary to ensure landings do not exceed the applicable ACL. If NMFS determines the ACL for a particular species or species group was exceeded because of enhanced data collection and monitoring efforts instead of an increase in total catch of the species or species group, NMFS will not reduce the length of the fishing season for the applicable species or species group the following fishing year. Landings will be evaluated relative to the applicable ACL based on a moving multi-year average of landings, as described in the FMP. With the exceptions of Caribbean queen conch in Puerto Rico and St. Thomas/St. John management areas, goliath grouper, Nassau grouper, midnight parrotfish, blue parrotfish, and rainbow parrotfish, ACLs are based on the combined Caribbean EEZ and territorial landings for each management area. The ACLs specified in paragraphs (c)(1), (c)(2), and (c)(3) of this section are given in round weight. (See § 622.32 for limitations on taking prohibited and limited harvest species. The limitations in § 622.32 apply without regard to whether the species is harvested by a vessel operating under a valid commercial fishing license issued by Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands or by a person subject to the bag limits.)
(1) Puerto Rico—(i) Commercial ACLs. The following ACLs apply to commercial landings of Puerto Rico management area species or species groups. (A) Queen conch—0 lb (0 kg), for the EEZ only.
Table 2 of Appendix A to Part 622—Caribbean Reef Fish Back to Top
Appendix E to Part 622—Caribbean Island/Island Group Management Areas Back to Top
B (intersects with the EEZ/Territorial boundary)
C (intersects with the EEZ/Territorial boundary)