Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Pelagic Sargassum Habitat of the South Atlantic Region

NMFS issues this final rule to implement the Fishery Management Plan for Pelagic Sargassum Habitat of the South Atlantic Region (FMP). This final rule limits the harvest or possession of pelagic sargassum in or from the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the southern Atlantic states to 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) annually, restricts fishing for pelagic sargassum in the South Atlantic EEZ to an area no less than 100 nautical miles offshore of North Carolina and to the months of November through June, requires vessel owners or operators to accommodate NMFS-approved observers on all pelagic sargassum fishing trips, and restricts the mesh and frame sizes of nets used to harvest pelagic sargassum. The FMP also defines the management unit, maximum sustainable yield (MSY), optimum yield (OY), and overfishing parameters. In addition, NMFS informs the public of the approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the collection-of-information requirements contained in this final rule and publishes the OMB control numbers for those collections. The intended effects are to conserve and manage pelagic sargassum and to protect essential fish habitat.