Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; Amendment 53

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The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted Amendment 53 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper- Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic (FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. Amendment 53 would modify management of South Atlantic gag and black grouper. For gag, Amendment 53 would establish a rebuilding plan, revise the overfishing limits, acceptable biological catch (ABC), annual optimum yield (OY), annual catch limits (ACLs), sector allocations, commercial trip limits, recreational bag, vessel, and possession limits, and recreational accountability measures (AMs). For black grouper, Amendment 53 would modify the recreational bag, vessel, and possession limits. The purpose of Amendment 53 is to end overfishing of gag, rebuild the stock, and achieve OY while minimizing, to the extent practicable, adverse social and economic effects.