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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 149 / Friday, August 6, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
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 area closure authority and the state-specific private angling ACLs has already been subject to notice and comment, and all that remains is to notify the public of the closure. Such procedures are contrary to the public interest because a failure to implement the closure immediately would be inconsistent with Texass state management plan and may result in less access to red snapper in state waters.
For the aforementioned reasons, there is 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: August 3, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
FR Doc. 202116857 Filed 8321; 4:15 pm BILLING CODE 351022P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 635
Docket No. 180117042888402; RTID
0648XB282

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species;
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries National Marine Fisheries Service NMFS, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA, Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure of the General category June through August fishery for 2021.
AGENCY:

NMFS closes the General category fishery for large medium and giant i.e., measuring 73 inches 185 cm curved fork length or greater Atlantic bluefin tuna BFT for the June through August subquota time-period.
DATES: Effective 11:30 p.m., local time, August 4, 2021, through August 31, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Larry Redd, Jr., larry.redd@noaa.gov, 3014278503, Nicholas Velseboer, nicholas.velseboer@noaa.gov, 978675
2168, or Lauren Latchford, lauren.latchford@noaa.gov, 301427
8503.

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SUMMARY:

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Atlantic HMS fisheries, including BFT fisheries, are managed under the authority of the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act ATCA;
16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Magnuson-Stevens Act; 16 U.S.C. 1801
et seq.. The 2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery Management Plan FMP
and its amendments are implemented by regulations at 50 CFR part 635.
Section 635.27 divides the U.S. BFT
quota recommended by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas ICCAT
and as implemented by the United States among the various domestic fishing categories, per the allocations established in the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP and its amendments. NMFS
is required under the Magnuson-Stevens Act to provide U.S. fishing vessels with a reasonable opportunity to harvest quotas under relevant international fishery agreements such as the ICCAT
Convention, which is implemented domestically pursuant to ATCA.
Under 635.28a1, NMFS files a closure action with the Federal Register for publication when a BFT quota or subquota is reached or is projected to be reached. Retaining, possessing, or landing BFT under that quota category is prohibited on or after the effective date and time of a closure notice for that category until the opening of the relevant subsequent quota period or until such date as specified.
As described in 635.27a, the current baseline U.S. quota continues to be 1,247.86 metric tons mt not including the 25 mt ICCAT allocated to the United States to account for bycatch of BFT in pelagic longline fisheries in the Northeast Distant Gear Restricted Area. The baseline quota for the General category is 555.7 mt. Each of the General category time periods January, June through August, September, October through November, and December is allocated a portion of the annual General category quota. The June through August subquota is 277.9 mt.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Closure of the June Through August 2021 General Category Fishery As of August 2, 2021, reported landings total approximately 252.5 mt.
Based on these landings data, as well as average catch rates and anticipated fishing conditions, we project that the General category June through August subquota will be reached and exceeded shortly. Therefore, retaining, possessing, or landing large medium or giant BFT
i.e., measuring 73 inches 185 cm curved fork length or greater by persons aboard vessels permitted in the Atlantic
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tunas General category and HMS
Charter/Headboat category while fishing commercially must cease at 11:30 p.m. local time on August 4, 2021.
The General category will automatically reopen September 1, 2021, for the September 2021 subquota time period.
This action applies to Atlantic tunas General category commercial permitted vessels and HMS Charter/
Headboat category permitted vessels with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for BFT, and is taken consistent with the regulations at 635.28a1.
Fishermen may catch and release or tag and release BFT of all sizes, subject to the requirements of the catch-andrelease and tag-and-release programs at 635.26. All BFT that are released must be handled in a manner that will maximize their survival, and without removing the fish from the water, consistent with requirements at 635.21a1. For additional information on safe handling, see the Careful Catch and Release brochure available at https
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/
outreach-and-education/careful-catchand-release-brochure/.
Monitoring and Reporting NMFS will actively monitor the BFT
fishery closely. Dealers are required to submit landing reports within 24 hours of a dealer receiving BFT. Late reporting by dealers compromises NMFS ability to timely implement actions such as quota and retention limit adjustments, as well as closures, and may result in enforcement actions. Additionally, and separate from the dealer reporting requirement, General and HMS Charter/
Headboat category vessel owners are required to report the catch of all BFT
retained or discarded dead within 24
hours of the landings or end of each trip, by accessing hmspermits.noaa.gov, using the HMS Catch Reporting app, or calling 888 8728862 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30
p.m..
After the fishery reopens on September 1, depending on the level of fishing effort and catch rates of BFT, NMFS may determine that additional adjustments are necessary to ensure available subquotas are not exceeded or to enhance scientific data collection from, and fishing opportunities in, all geographic areas. If needed, subsequent adjustments will be published in the Federal Register. In addition, fishermen may call the Atlantic Tunas Information Line at 978 2819260, or access hmspermits.noaa.gov, for updates on quota monitoring and inseason adjustments.

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