Key Message:
- NOAA Fisheries is implementing a Temporary Rule that is intended to reduce overfishing of gag under the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). These changes are based on the results of the most recent stock assessment and the recommendations of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee.
- The stock assessment used updated data, including data from the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) Fishing Effort Survey (FES), which replaced the MRIP Coastal Household Telephone Survey (CHTS). The stock assessment concluded that the population of Gulf gag is too low (overfished) and that too many gag are being caught (overfishing is occurring).
When Rule Will Take Effect:
- These interim measures will become effective today, May 3, 2023.
Summary Of Changes:
- This temporary rule reduces the current catch limits for Gulf gag as specified in Table 1:
Table 1: Current and new annual catch limits (ACL) and annual catch targets (ACT) for Gulf gag. All numbers are in pounds gutted weight.
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Stock ACL
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Commercial ACL
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Recreational ACL
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Commercial ACT/Quota
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Recreational ACT
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Current*
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3,120,000
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1,217,000
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1,903,000
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939,000
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1,708,000
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New*
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661,901
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258,000
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403,759
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199,000
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362,374
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*Note that the “Current” and “New” catch limits cannot be directly compared. This is due to the fact that “Current” recreational catch is estimated using MRIP-CHTS, while the “New” recreational catch limits are estimated using MRIP-FES. MRIP-FES estimates of effort and catch are substantially higher than MRIP-CHTS estimates. In addition, since the commercial catch limits are rounded in the “new” catch limits, the commercial and recreational ACLs do not add up to the stock ACL.
- The temporary rule changes the dates of the gag recreational fishing season as follows:
- The 2023 gag season will open on September 1 rather than June 1.
- The gag season closes on November 10, 2023, unless NOAA Fisheries projects that the gag recreational ACL will be harvested prior to that date, in which case, NOAA Fisheries would close the fishery to recreational gag harvest as of the projected date.
- This temporary rule is effective for 180 days (until October 30, 2023). NOAA Fisheries is expecting to extend the rule for up to an additional 186 days (366 days total).
- The reduction in harvest and modification of the recreational fishing season is necessary to reduce overfishing of gag in 2023 while maximizing the amount of fishing days. This is being done while a rebuilding plan for the Gulf gag stock is developed by the Council. The rebuilding plan would reduce the gag overfishing limit, acceptable biological catch, ACLs, and ACTs, and is anticipated to be implemented in early 2024.
Formal Federal Register Name/Number: 88 FR 27701, published May 3, 2023.
This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.
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