Request for Comments: Proposed Rule to Revise Annual Catch Limits for South Atlantic Vermilion Snapper and Black Sea Bass

Request for Comments: Proposed Rule to Revise Annual Catch Limits for South Atlantic Vermilion Snapper and Black Sea Bass

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries requests your comments on a proposed rule for Abbreviated Framework Amendment 2 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, which addresses vermilion snapper and black sea bass in the South Atlantic.
This proposed rule would increase the annual catch limits for South Atlantic vermilion snapper in response to the results of the latest population assessment.
This proposed rule would reduce the annual catch limits for South Atlantic black sea bass in response to the results of the latest population assessment.
Comments are due by March 6, 2019.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES:

The proposed rule would increase the total and sector annual catch limits for vermilion snapper.
New annual catch limits for vermilion snapper (in pounds whole weight) are as follows:

You can read more about this proposed change on the NOAA Fisheries Atlantic Southern Zone site Here