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DOC/NOAA RIN: 0648-BA94 Publication ID: Spring 2011 
Title: ●2011 Gulf of Mexico Gag Recreational and Commercial Management Measures  
Abstract: On August 11, 2009, the NMFS Regional Administrator notified the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) of his determination that the gag stock was both overfished and undergoing overfishing, based on the results of the 2009 update assessment of the Gulf of Mexico gag stock. Therefore, the stock needs to be rebuilt. The Council is currently developing Amendment 32 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico to address stock rebuilding and ending overfishing; however, management measures proposed in this amendment will not ready for implementation until 2012. In addition, questions with how discarded fish were applied in the assessment delayed final management recommendations until these issues could be resolved. Therefore, the Council requested an interim rule effective January 1, 2011, to set a conservative gag quota, temporarily rescind the use of multi-use individual fishing quota allocation so it cannot be used to harvest gag, and set the gag recreational harvest to zero with the intent to increase the quota and allow a recreational season once the assessment was finalized. The assessment was rerun in December 2010 addressing the problems with discards and was reviewed in January 2011. Based on the assessment, the Council has recommended another interim rule that would raise the commercial quota to 430,000 pounds gutted weight, continue to rescind the use of multi-use individual fishing quota allocation, and allow a fall recreational season using the current bag limit. Long-term measures including a rebuilding plan are still being developed in Amendment 32 for implementation in 2012. 
Agency: Department of Commerce(DOC)  Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant 
RIN Status: First time published in the Unified Agenda Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Final Rule Stage 
Major: No  Unfunded Mandates: No 
CFR Citation: 50 CFR 622   
Legal Authority: 16 USC 1801 et seq   
Legal Deadline:  None
Timetable:
Action Date FR Cite
Interim Final Rule  06/00/2011    
Final Rule  07/00/2011    
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No  Government Levels Affected: None 
Small Entities Affected: No  Federalism: No 
Included in the Regulatory Plan: No 
RIN Data Printed in the FR: No 
Related RINs: Related to 0648-BA02 
Agency Contact:
Roy E. Crabtree
Regional Administrator, Southeast Region
Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
263 13th Avenue South,
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Phone:727 824-5305
Fax:727 824-5308
Email: roy.crabtree@noaa.gov