Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; Special Management Zones

In accordance with the framework procedure of the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP), NMFS issues this final rule to establish 12 new special management zones (SMZs) at the sites of artificial reefs (ARs) in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off Georgia; to revise the boundaries of the 7 existing SMZs that are in the EEZ off Georgia; to restrict fishing gear in the new and revised SMZs to handline, rod and reel, and spearfishing gear, including powerheads; and within these SMZs, to limit the harvest and possession of South Atlantic snapper-grouper taken by powerheads to the applicable bag limits. This rule also establishes a 30-day deadline for resolving deficiencies related to a permit application and a 60-day deadline for correcting deficiencies regarding automatic renewals of permits. The intended effects of this rule are to promote orderly use of the fishery resources on and around the ARs and SMZs, to maintain the socioeconomic benefits of the ARs and SMZs to the maximum extent practicable, and to improve the procedure for issuance of permits.