Capt_Keith
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Joined: Mar 09, 2010
Posts: 106
Location: Longs SC
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 Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:35 pm Post subject: Proposed Rule to Eliminate a Snapper-Grouper Area Closure |
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NOAA Seeks Comments on a Proposed Rule to Eliminate a
Snapper-Grouper Area Closure in the South Atlantic
NOAA Fisheries Service is seeking public comment on a proposed rule for Regulatory Amendment 10 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Regulatory Amendment 10). Regulatory Amendment 10 would eliminate a snapper-grouper area closure previously approved in Amendment 17A to the FMP for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 17A). The proposed rule publishes in the Federal Register on February 18, 2011, with the comment period ending March 21, 2011.
An emergency rule was published on December 9, 2010, to delay the effective date of the snapper-grouper area closure specified in Amendment 17A to June 1, 2011. Temporarily delaying the effective date of the snapper-grouper area closure to June 1, 2011, was intended to allow the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council time to respond to new stock assessment information through a regulatory amendment. The new assessment shows red snapper to be overfished (population too low) and undergoing overfishing (rate of removal too high); however, the current rate of overfishing is less than the rate of overfishing found in the previous stock assessment. This prompted the Council to review the assessment and other scientific information and propose eliminating the snapper-grouper area closure.
As of December 3, 2010, Amendment 17A also extended the prohibition of commercial and recreational fishing for red snapper in all federal waters of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the Atlantic coast of Florida. It is illegal to fish for, possess, or harvest red snapper from these waters.
The decision to eliminate the snapper-grouper area closure through Amendment 10 would not affect the prohibition on harvest and possession of red snapper.
Request for Comments
Written comments on this proposed rule must be received no later than March 21, 2011, to be considered by NOAA Fisheries Service. See the Addresses section for information on where and how to submit comments. All comments received by NOAA Fisheries Service will be addressed in the final rule.
Addresses
Electronic copies of the proposed rule or the regulatory amendment may be obtained from the e-Rulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Web site at http://www.safmc.net or from NOAA Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505.
You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
• Electronic Submissions: Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Enter the following docket number into the “Search” box: NOAA-NMFS-2010-0249. All comments received are part of the public record and will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without change. Comments will be posted for public viewing after the comment period has closed. All personal identifying information (for example, name, address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter, may be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. NOAA Fisheries Service will accept anonymous comments. Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
• Mail: Rick DeVictor, NOAA Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505.
Comments received through means not specified in this bulletin may not be considered.
This bulletin provides only a summary of the information pertinent to the rule. Any discrepancies between this bulletin and the rule as published in the Federal Register will be resolved in favor of the Federal Register |
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