Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; Exempted Fishing Permit

Résumé

NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from the Fish/Fisheries Conservation Lab at the University of South Carolina. If granted, the EFP would authorize the limited harvest of red hind during spawning events in U.S. Caribbean Federal waters around the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) and exempt that harvest from Federal area and seasonal closure regulations. The purpose of the EFP is to address critical gaps in red hind demographics and life history, which could help provide current, region-specific information for upcoming stock assessments for the species.