2026-13267: Fisheries of the South Atlantic; 2026 South Atlantic Red Snapper Commercial Fishing Season

Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 125 (Wednesday, July 1, 2026) [Federal Register Volume 91, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 1, 2026)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 39898-39899] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2026-13267] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 622 [Docket No. 1710319998630-02; RTID 0648-XF836] Fisheries of the South Atlantic; 2026 South Atlantic Red Snapper Commercial Fishing Season

Agency

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

Action

Temporary rule; commercial fishing season. -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary

For the 2026 fishing year, NMFS announces the opening date of the red snapper commercial fishing season in the South Atlantic exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Announcing the opening date of the commercial season is an accountability measure (AM) for the commercial sector and allows fishers to maximize their opportunity to harvest the commercial annual catch limit (ACL).

Dates

The South Atlantic red snapper commercial fishing season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, July 13, 2026, and remains open until 12:01 a.m., local time, January 1, 2027, unless changed by subsequent notification in the Federal Register.

For Further Information Contact

Mary Vara, NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 727-824-5305, [email protected].

Supplementary Information

The South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery includes red snapper and is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP). The FMP was prepared by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and NMFS, was approved by the Secretary of Commerce, and is implemented by NMFS through regulations at 50 CFR part 622 under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act). The South Atlantic red snapper commercial ACL is 102,951 pounds (lb) (46,698 kilograms (kg)), round weight. For the commercial sector, as described in the regulations at 50 CFR 622.183(b)(5), the red snapper commercial season opens annually on the second Monday in July. Therefore, for the 2026 fishing year, the red snapper commercial season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, July 13, 2026, and will remain open until 12:01 a.m., local time, January 1, 2027, unless the commercial ACL is reached or projected to be reached prior to that date. In accordance with the commercial AM, NMFS will monitor commercial landings during the open season, and if commercial landings reach or are projected to reach the commercial ACL, then NMFS will file a notification with the Office of the Federal Register to close the red snapper commercial sector for the remainder of the fishing year (50 CFR 622.193(y)(1)). During the red snapper commercial fishing season, the red snapper commercial trip limit is 75 lb (34 kg), gutted weight, and there is no red snapper minimum or maximum commercial size limit. Classification NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson- Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 622.183(b)(5)(i) and 622.193(y), which were issued pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice and comment would be unnecessary. Such procedures are unnecessary because the rule establishing the requirement to announce the red snapper commercial fishing season opening date and the red snapper commercial ACL and AM has already been subject to notice and [[Page 39899]] comment, and all that remains is to notify the public of the commercial fishing season opening date. Announcing the start of the commercial season as soon as practicable allows commercial sector participants and businesses to better plan their activities to harvest red snapper. For the aforementioned reasons, there is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in the effectiveness of this action. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: June 26, 2026. Kelly Denit, Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2026-13267 Filed 6-29-26; 4:15 pm] BILLING CODE 3510-22-P