Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Amendment 16A; OMB Control Numbers

NMFS issues this final rule to implement the approved measures in Amendment 16A to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP). This final rule prohibits possession of reef fish exhibiting trap rash on board a vessel that is in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico and that does not have a valid fish trap endorsement and requires fish trap vessel owners or operators to provide trip initiation and trip termination reports and to comply with a vessel/gear inspection requirement. The provision of Amendment 16A that would have prohibited the use of fish traps in the EEZ of the Gulf of Mexico south of 25 deg.03' N. lat. after February 7, 2001, has been disapproved. Finally, NMFS informs the public of the approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the collection-of-information requirements contained in this rule, publishes the OMB control number for these collections, and corrects the list of control numbers applicable to title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The intended effects of this rule are to enhance enforceability of fish trap measures and to conserve and manage the reef fish resources of the Gulf of Mexico.