View Rule

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) requested an emergency rule under the Fishery Management Plans for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region and Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region.  Implementing the request would:  1. Increase the commercial trip limit for vermilion snapper from 1,000 pounds (lb) gutted weight (gw) to 1,500 lb gw in federal waters of the South Atlantic Region, and 2. Increase the recreational bag limit for Atlantic king mackerel from 3-fish per person to 4-fish per person in federal waters from the New York/Connecticut/Rhode Island boundary to the Georgia/Florida boundary, and from 2-fish per person to 4-fish per person in federal waters from the Georgia/Florida boundary to the Miami-Dade/Monroe County, Florida boundary.  The Council considers these changes necessary to help address economic losses to the commercial and charter fishing industries and adverse impacts to the recreational fishing community that have resulted from the recent unforeseen events, including travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders. NMFS intends to implement this emergency rule because increasing the commercial trip limit for vermilion snapper and the recreational bag limits for Atlantic king mackerel are expected to regain lost fishing opportunities and achieve optimum yield without exceeding their respective annual catch limits.  Existing accountability measures will remain unchanged in the event the annual catch limits are expected to be met.