Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico; 2024 Recreational Harvest Closure for Gag

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 622 [Docket No. 240506-0129; RTID 0648-XE036] AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for the gag recreational sector in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) for the 2024 fishing year. NMFS has projected that the 2024 recreational annual catch target (ACT) for gag will be reached by September 16, 2024. Therefore, NMFS closes the recreational sector for Gulf gag on September 16, 2024, and it will remain closed through the end of the fishing year on December 31, 2024. This closure is necessary to protect the Gulf gag resource. DATES: This temporary rule is effective from 12:01 a.m. local time on September 16, 2024, through December 31, 2024. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank Helies, NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 727-824-5305, frank.helies@noaa.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the Gulf reef fish fishery that includes gag under the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP). The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) prepared the FMP, which was approved by the Secretary of Commerce, and is implemented by NMFS under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) through regulations at 50 CF…