October 13, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
WHAT/WHEN:
The commercial harvest of vermilion snapper in South Atlantic federal waters will close at 12:01 a.m. on October 17, 2017. During the commercial closure, harvest or possession of vermilion snapper in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits when the recreational fishery is open.
WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:
- The 2017 July-December commercial catch limit is 431,460 pounds whole weight. In addition, the unused portion of the January 1 through June 30, 2017, commercial catch limit was added to the July 1 through December 31, 2017, commercial catch limit. Commercial landings are projected to reach the July-December commercial catch limit by October 17, 2017. According to the accountability measure, harvest should close to prevent the catch limit from being exceeded.
AFTER THE CLOSURE:
- The closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels that have a federal commercial permit for South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper.
- The prohibition on sale or purchase during a closure for vermilion snapper does not apply to fish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m. on October 17, 2017, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=383bc195ccbeab4fd6bec1c24905df34&node=sp50.12.622.i&rgn=div6#se50.12.622_1190.
Access this and other Fishery Bulletins from NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office by clicking here.