Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region; Amendment 51

NMFS issues regulations to implement Amendment 51 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. For snowy grouper, this final rule revises the sector annual catch limits (ACLs), commercial seasonal quotas, recreational fishing season, and recreational accountability measures. In addition, Amendment 51 revises the overfishing limit for snowy grouper, the acceptable biological catch, annual optimum yield (OY), and sector allocations of the total ACL. The purpose of this final rule and Amendment 51 is to end overfishing of snowy grouper, rebuild the stock, and achieve OY while minimizing, to the extent practicable, adverse economic impacts on fishing communities.