Reef Fish Amendment 36A: Modifications to Commercial Individual Fishing Quota Programs

Final Rule |

Gulf of Mexico

Overview

Description

The purpose of this action improve compliance and increase management flexibility in the Gulf individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs as well as increase the likelihood of achieving optimum yield for reef fish stocks managed under the IFQ programs.

Fishery Management

Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan

Fishing Type

Commercial

Action Status

Final Rule

Effective

July 12, 2018, except for the addition of § 622.26(a)(2), which is effective on January 1, 2019

Point of Contact

Peter Hood, Peter.Hood@noaa.gov, 727-824-5305

Read Amendment

Summary

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council took final action on Amendment 36A at their April 2017 meeting. The purpose of this action improve compliance and increase management flexibility in the Gulf individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs as well as increase the likelihood of achieving optimum yield for reef fish stocks managed under the IFQ programs. This action would: 1) require that the owner or operator of a commercial reef fish permitted vessel landing commercially caught, federally managed reef fish from the Gulf provide a landing notification at least 3 hours, but no more than 24 hours, in advance of landing; 2) return permanently to NMFS any shares contained in IFQ accounts that have never been activated since January 1, 2010; and 3) allow NMFS to withhold the distribution of IFQ allocation equal the amount of an expected commercial quota reduction on January 1, for any IFQ species or multi-species quota, and redistribute the allocation back to fishermen should the expected quota reduction not be implemented by June 1.