Revised Reporting Requirements Due to Catastrophic Conditions for Federal Seafood Dealers, Individual Fishing Quota Dealers, and Charter Vessels and Headboats in Portions of Florida

In accordance with the regulations implementing the individual fishing quota (IFQ) and Federal dealer reporting specific to the commercial reef fish fishery in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and the coastal migratory pelagic (CMP) fisheries in the Gulf, the Regional Administrator (RA), Southeast Region, NMFS has determined that the catastrophic conditions caused by Hurricane Helene in the Gulf for certain Florida counties still exist. This temporary rule authorizes in the described affected area any dealer who does not have access to electronic reporting to delay reporting of dealer reports (trip tickets), any Southeast Region Headboat Survey (SRHS) program participant to delay reporting electronic logbooks, and authorizes IFQ dealers within the affected area to use paper-based forms, if necessary, for basic required administrative functions, e.g., landing transactions. This temporary rule is intended to facilitate continuation of IFQ and dealer reporting operations during the period of catastrophic conditions.