Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico; Partial Holdback of Commercial Quota for Gag in the Gulf of Mexico

NMFS issues this temporary rule to withhold a portion of the commercial allocation of gag for the 2024 fishing year in anticipation of the upcoming rulemaking for Amendment 56 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) that would amend the FMP by implementing measures to end overfishing of gag and establish a rebuilding plan for the stock. These measures would, in part, reduce the commercial sector annual catch limit (ACL) and commercial quota. This temporary rule will withhold the distribution of gag individual fishing quota (IFQ) allocation on January 1, 2024, to shareholders in the Groupers and Tilefishes IFQ (GT-IFQ) program in the amount equal to the anticipated reduction in the commercial quota and set the red grouper multi-use allocation to zero as required when gag is in a rebuilding plan.