Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico; Partial Holdback of Commercial Quota for Gag in the Gulf of Mexico

Riepilogo

NMFS issues this temporary rule to withhold a portion of the commercial allocation of gag for the 2023 fishing year in anticipation of an upcoming rulemaking that would amend the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) by implementing interim measures to reduce overfishing of gag. These interim measures would, in part, reduce the commercial sector annual catch limit (ACL) and quota. This temporary rule will withhold the distribution of gag individual fishing quota (IFQ) allocation on January 1, 2023, to shareholders in the Groupers and Tilefishes IFQ (GT-IFQ) program in the amount equal to the anticipated reduction in the commercial quota.