Fisheries of the South Atlantic; 2026 Recreational Accountability Measure and Closure for Snowy Grouper in the South Atlantic

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. 231127-0277; RTID 0648-XF681] AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) and closure for the recreational harvest of snowy grouper in South Atlantic Federal waters. NMFS reduces the length of the snowy grouper 2026 recreational fishing season to prevent landings from exceeding the recreational annual catch limit (ACL) in 2026 as they did in 2025. Accordingly, NMFS announces the adjusted closure date for the snowy grouper 2026 recreational fishing season in South Atlantic Federal waters to protect the snowy grouper resource. DATES: The closure is effective at 12:01 a.m., local time, June 7, 2026, until 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2027. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karla Gore, NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 727-824-5305, karla.gore@noaa.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The snapper-grouper fishery of the South Atlantic includes snowy grouper and is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP). The FMP was prepared by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and NMFS, was approved by the Secretary of Commerce, and is implemented by NMFS through regulations at 50 CFR part 622 under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation an…