Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery Off the Southern Atlantic States; Regulatory Amendment 18

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NMFS issues this final rule to implement Regulatory Amendment 18 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP) (Regulatory Amendment 18), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council). This rule updates the annual catch limits (ACLs) for vermilion snapper and red porgy, modifies the vermilion snapper commercial trip limit, and removes the recreational 5-month seasonal closure for vermilion snapper. The purpose of this rule is to help achieve optimum yield (OY) for snapper-grouper resources in accordance with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).