50 C.F.R. § 622.42 Quotas.
Title 50 - Wildlife and Fisheries
Quotas apply for the fishing year for each species or species group. Except for the quotas for Gulf and South Atlantic coral, the quotas include species harvested from state waters adjoining the EEZ. Quotas for species managed under this part are as follows. (See §622.32 for limitations on taking prohibited and limited-harvest species. The limitations in §622.32 apply without regard to whether the species is harvested by a vessel operating under a commercial vessel permit or by a person subject to the bag limits.) (a) Gulf reef fish—(1) Commercial quotas. The following quotas apply to persons who fish under commercial vessel permits for Gulf reef fish, as required under §622.4(a)(2)(v). (i) Red snapper—4.65 million lb (2.11 million kg), round weight, apportioned as follows: (A) Two-thirds of the quota specified in §622.42(a)(1)(i), 3.10 million lb (1.41 million kg), available at noon on February 1 each year, subject to the closure provisions of §§622.34(l) and 622.43(a)(1)(i). (B) The remainder available at noon on October 1 each year, subject to the closure provisions of §§622.34(l) and 622.43(a)(1)(i). (ii) Deep-water groupers (i.e., yellowedge grouper, misty grouper, warsaw grouper, snowy grouper, and speckled hind), and, after the quota for shallow-water grouper is reached, scamp, combined—1.02 million lb (0.46 million kg), gutted weight, that is, eviscerated but otherwise whole. (iii) Shallow-water groupers (i.e., all groupers other than deep-water groupers, goliath grouper, and Nassau grouper), including scamp before the quota for shallow-water groupers is reached, combined—8.80 million lb (3.99 million kg), gutted weight, that is, eviscerated but otherwise whole. Within the shallow-water grouper quota there is a separate quota for red grouper—5.31 million lb (2.41 million kg), gutted weight. When either the shallow-water grouper quota or the red grouper quota is reached, the entire shallow-water grouper fishery will be closed and the closure provisions of §622.43(a) introductory text and §622.43(a)(1)(i) apply to the entire shallow-water grouper fishery. (iv) Tilefishes (i.e., tilefish and goldface, blackline, anchor, and blueline tilefish) combined—0.44 million lb (0.20 million kg), gutted weight, that is, eviscerated but otherwise whole. (2) Recreational quota for red snapper. The following quota applies to persons who harvest red snapper other than under commercial vessel permits for Gulf reef fish and the commercial quota specified in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section—4.47 million lb (2.03 million kg), round weight. (b) Gulf and South Atlantic allowable octocoral. The quota for all persons who harvest allowable octocoral in the EEZ of the Gulf and South Atlantic is 50,000 colonies. A colony is a continuous group of coral polyps forming a single unit. (c) King and Spanish mackerel. King and Spanish mackerel quotas apply to persons who fish under commercial vessel permits for king or Spanish mackerel, as required under §622.4(a)(2)(iii) or (iv). A fish is counted against the quota for the area where it is caught when it is first sold. (1) Migratory groups of king mackerel—(i) Gulf migratory group. The quota for the Gulf migratory group of king mackerel is 3.26 million lb (1.48 million kg). The Gulf migratory group is divided into eastern and western zones separated by 87°31'06" W. long., which is a line directly south from the Alabama/Florida boundary. Quotas for the eastern and western zones are as follows: (A) Eastern zone—2.25 million lb (1.02 million kg), which is further divided into quotas as follows: (1) Florida east coast subzone—1,040,625 lb (472,020 kg). (2) Florida west coast subzone—(i) Southern—1,040,625 lb (472,020 kg), which is further divided into a quota of 520,312 lb (236,010 kg) for vessels fishing with hook-and-line and a quota of 520,312 lb (236,010 kg) for vessels fishing with run-around gillnets. (ii) Northern—168,750 lb (76,544 kg). (3) Description of Florida subzones. The Florida east coast subzone is that part of the eastern zone north of 25°20.4' N. lat., which is a line directly east from the Miami-Dade/Monroe County, FL, boundary. The Florida west coast subzone is that part of the eastern zone south and west of 25°20.4' N. lat. The Florida west coast subzone is further divided into southern and northern subzones. From November 1 through March 31, the southern subzone is that part of the Florida west coast subzone that extends south and west from 25°20.4' N. lat. to 26°19.8' N. lat., a line directly west from the Lee/Collier County, FL, boundary (i.e., the area off Collier and Monroe Counties). From April 1 through October 31, the southern subzone is that part of the Florida west coast subzone that is between 26°19.8' N. lat. and 25°48' N. lat., which is a line directly west from the Monroe/Collier County, FL, boundary (i.e., off Collier County). The northern subzone is that part of the Florida west coast subzone that is between 26°19.8' N. lat. and 87°31'06" W. long., which is a line directly south from the Alabama/Florida boundary. (B) Western zone—1.01 million lb (0.46 million kg). (ii) Atlantic migratory group. The quota for the Atlantic migratory group of king mackerel is 3.71 million lb (1.68 million kg). No more than 0.40 million lb (0.18 million kg) may be harvested by purse seines. (2) Migratory groups of Spanish mackerel—(i) Gulf migratory group. The quota for the Gulf migratory group of Spanish mackerel is 5.187 million lb (2.353 million kg). (ii) Atlantic migratory group. The quota for the Atlantic migratory group of Spanish mackerel is 3.87 million lb (1.76 million kg). (d) Royal red shrimp in the Gulf. The quota for all persons who harvest royal red shrimp in the Gulf is 392,000 lb (177.8 mt), tail weight. (e) South Atlantic snapper-grouper, excluding wreckfish. The quotas apply to persons who are not subject to the bag limits. (See §622.39(a)(1) for applicability of the bag limits.) (1) Snowy grouper—344,508 lb (156,266 kg), gutted weight, that is, eviscerated but otherwise whole. (2) Golden tilefish—1,001,663 lb (454,347 kg), gutted weight, that is, eviscerated but otherwise whole. (3) Greater amberjack—1,169,931 lb (530,672 kg), gutted weight, that is, eviscerated but otherwise whole. (f) Wreckfish. The quota for wreckfish applies to wreckfish shareholders, or their employees, contractors, or agents, and is 2 million lb (907,185 kg), round weight. See §622.15 for information on the wreckfish shareholder under the ITQ system. (g) Pelagic sargassum. The quota for all persons who harvest pelagic sargassum in the South Atlantic EEZ is 5,000 lb (2,268 kg), wet, landed weight. See §622.35(g)(1) for area limitations on the harvest of pelagic sargassum. [61 FR 34934, July 3, 1996, as amended at 61 FR 48643, Sept. 16, 1996; 62 FR 13988, Mar. 25, 1997; 62 FR 23674, May 1, 1997; 62 FR 46679, Sept. 4, 1997; 62 FR 67723, Dec. 30, 1997; 63 FR 8356, Feb. 19, 1998; 63 FR 10569, Mar. 4, 1998; 64 FR 3629, Jan. 25, 1999; 64 FR 45459, Aug. 20, 1999; 64 FR 59126, Nov. 2, 1999; 65 FR 16340, Mar. 28, 2000; 65 FR 30363, May 11, 2000; 65 FR 41016, July 3, 2000; 65 FR 50162, Aug. 17, 2000; 66 FR 17369, Mar. 30, 2001; 68 FR 57378, Oct. 3, 2003; 69 FR 33320, June 15, 2004; 71 FR 28285, May 16, 2006]
Title 50: Wildlife and Fisheries
PART 622—FISHERIES OF THE CARIBBEAN, GULF, AND SOUTH ATLANTIC
Subpart C—Management Measures
§ 622.42 Quotas.
