Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Revised 1996 Red Snapper Season

NMFS issues this emergency interim rule to suspend implementation of the red snapper individual transferable quota (ITQ) system for the Gulf of Mexico, previously scheduled to begin April 1, 1996, to make the entire 1996 commercial quota for red snapper available to the fishery which opened February 1, 1996, and to extend for the emergency period the red snapper trip limit and permit endorsement system. The intended effect is to respond to an emergency situation involving the commercial red snapper fishery by preventing adverse social and economic impacts on fishery participants while allowing a controlled harvest of fish for the 1996 season.