NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on Amendment 20B to the Fishery Management Plan for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Region. NOAA Fisheries is also seeking public comment on the proposed rule to implement the management measures contained in the amendment. Amendment 20B proposes to:
- Eliminate the 500-pound trip limit that is effective when 75 percent of the respective quotas are landed for king mackerel in the Florida west coast Northern and Southern Subzones.
- Change the fishing year for king mackerel in the Florida west coast Northern Subzone to October-September. Currently, the fishing year is July-June.
- Allow transit of vessels with king mackerel through areas closed to king mackerel fishing, if gear is appropriately stowed.
- Create Northern and Southern Zones for Atlantic migratory group king and Spanish mackerel, each with separate quotas. NOAA Fisheries would close each zone when the respective quota is met or expected to be met.
- Make administrative changes to the procedure for modifying management measures.
- Increase annual catch limits and catch targets for cobia. Create an East Coast Zone for cobia to adjust for differences between the Councils’ jurisdictional areas and the biological distribution of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic stocks. This zone would have its own quota, which NOAA Fisheries would close when the quota is met or expected to be met.
The Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils have submitted Amendment 20B to NOAA Fisheries for review, approval, and implementation. The Notice of Availability for public comment on this amendment published in the Federal Register on October 17, 2014, and the proposed rule published on October 31, 2014. Comments will be accepted through December 16, 2014. We will address all comments specifically directed to either the amendment or the proposed rule in the final rule.For more information on Amendment 20B, please visit the NOAA Southeast Fisheries Web site at:
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/gulf_sa/cmp/2014/am20b/index.html. An electronic copy of the amendment is available at that Web site or from the e-Rule Making Portal www.regulation.gov.
How to Submit Comments
NOAA Fisheries must receive comments on these documents no later than December 16, 2014. You may submit comments on the amendment or the proposed rule, identified by “NOAA-NMFS-2013-0176”, by one of the following methods:
- Go to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2013-0176, click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. NOAA Fisheries will accept anonymous comments (enter “N/A” in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous). You can also attach additional files (up to 10MB) in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
- Mail written comments to Susan Gerhart, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.