Quiero saber acerca de...

33912

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 121 / Monday, June 28, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with RULES

2021, until 12:01 a.m., eastern time, on March 1, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary Vara, NMFS Southeast Regional Office, telephone: 7278245305, or email: mary.vara@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The fishery for coastal migratory pelagic fish in the Atlantic includes king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and cobia on the east coast of Florida, and is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region FMP. The FMP was prepared by the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. 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. All weights described for Spanish mackerel in the Atlantic EEZ apply as either round or gutted weight.
The commercial annual catch limit equal to the commercial quota for the Atlantic migratory group of Spanish mackerel Atlantic Spanish mackerel is 3.33 million lb 1.51 million kg.
Atlantic Spanish mackerel are divided into northern and southern zones for management purposes. The northern zone commercial quota for Atlantic Spanish mackerel is 662,670 lb 300,582
kg for the current fishing year, which is March 1, 2021, through February 28, 2022 50 CFR 622.384c2i.
The northern zone for Atlantic Spanish mackerel extends in Federal waters from New York through North Carolina. The northern boundary of the northern zone extends from an intersection point off New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island at 411816.249 N latitude715428.477
W longitude, and proceeds southeast to 372232.75 N latitude and the intersection point with the outward
VerDate Sep<11>2014

15:59 Jun 25, 2021

Jkt 253001

boundary of the EEZ. The southern boundary of the northern zone extends from the North Carolina and South Carolina state border along a line in a direction of 1353455 from true north beginning at 335107.9 N latitude 783232.6 W longitude to the intersection point with the outward boundary of the EEZ 50 CFR
622.369b2. See Figure 2 of appendix G to part 622Spanish Mackerel for an illustration of the management zones.
Regulations at 50 CFR 622.388d1i require NMFS to close the commercial sector for Atlantic Spanish mackerel in the northern zone when the commercial quota for that zone is reached, or is projected to be reached, by filing such a notification with the Office of the Federal Register. NMFS projects that the commercial quota of 662,670 lb 300,582
kg for Atlantic Spanish mackerel in the northern zone will be reached by June 28, 2021. Accordingly, the commercial sector for Atlantic Spanish mackerel in the northern zone is closed effective at 12:01 a.m., eastern time, on June 28, 2021, through February 28, 2022, the end of the current fishing year.
During the commercial closure, a person on a vessel that has been issued a valid Federal commercial permit to harvest Atlantic Spanish mackerel may continue to retain this species in the northern zone under the recreational bag and possession limits specified in 50 CFR 622.382a1iii and a2, if recreational harvest of Atlantic Spanish mackerel in the northern zone has not been closed 50 CFR 622.384e1.
Also during the closure, Atlantic Spanish mackerel from the northern zone, including those harvested under the recreational bag and possession limits, may not be purchased or sold.
This prohibition does not apply to Atlantic Spanish mackerel from the northern zone that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to the
PO 00000

Frm 00060

Fmt 4700

Sfmt 9990

closure and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor 50 CFR
622.384e2.
Classification NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305d of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR
622.8b, 622.384e2, and 622.388d1i, which were issued pursuant to section 304b of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553bB, there is good cause to waive prior notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice and comment are unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. Such procedures are unnecessary because the rule implementing the commercial quota and the associated AM has already been subject to notice and public comment, and all that remains is to notify the public of the closure. Such procedures are also contrary to the public interest because of the need to immediately implement the closure to protect Atlantic Spanish mackerel, because the capacity of the fishing fleet allows for rapid harvest of the commercial quota.
Prior notice and opportunity for public comment would require time and could result in a harvest that exceeds the established commercial quota.
For the aforementioned reasons, the Acting Assistant Administrator for NMFS also finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in the effectiveness of this action under 5 U.S.C. 553d3.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: June 23, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
FR Doc. 202113759 Filed 62321; 4:15 pm BILLING CODE 351022P

E:FRFM28JNR1.SGM

28JNR1