Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Amendment 9

NMFS issues this final rule to implement Amendment 9 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic (Amendment 9). For Gulf migratory group king mackerel, this rule establishes a moratorium on issuance of gillnet endorsements that includes eligibility criteria and restrictions on transferability of endorsements; restricts the area in which the gillnet fishery can operate; reallocates the eastern zone quota between the Florida east coast and Florida west coast subzones; and divides the Florida west coast subzone into northern and southern subzones with respective quotas. This rule also allows retention and sale of cut-off (damaged) king and Spanish mackerel that are greater than the minimum size limits and possessed within the trip limits. The intended effect of this rule is to protect king and Spanish mackerel from overfishing and to maintain healthy stocks while still allowing catches by important commercial and recreational fisheries.