South Atlantic Amendment 15B final rule!!

[swell rider]

NOAA Fisheries Publishes a Final Rule for
South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper Amendment 15B


NOAA Fisheries Service published the final rule for Amendment 15B to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic region on November 16, 2009. This final rule will:
Specify commercial/recreational allocations for snowy grouper and red porgy.
Revise the stock status determination criteria for golden tilefish.

*********Prohibit the sale of snapper-grouper harvested under the bag limits unless the vessel owner has been issued a Federal Commercial Snapper-Grouper Permit.*******

Expand the allowable transfer of a commercial vessel permit under the limited access program and extend the allowable period for renewal of such a permit to one year.
Require an owner and operator of a vessel for which a commercial or charter vessel/headboat permit has been issued and that has on board any hook-and-line gear to comply with sea turtle and smalltooth sawfish release protocols and possess on board specific gear to ensure proper release of such species that are incidentally caught.
Implement a bycatch monitoring program, which requires a vessel that fishes for snapper-grouper in the exclusive economic zone, if selected by NOAA Fisheries Service, to carry an observer and install an electronic logbook and/or video monitoring system.

Implementation Dates
The extension of the snapper-grouper permit renewal period is effective immediately in order to prevent the unintentional loss of snapper-grouper permits during the 30-day wait period. The effective date for the requirement for federally-permitted snapper-grouper vessels to carry sea turtle dehooking tools and protected species handling and release guidelines/protocols will be February 15, 2010. The provisions expanding the allowable transfer of a commercial vessel permit under the limited access program and implementing a bycatch monitoring program will be effective at a future date to be announced by NOAA Fisheries Service in a separate Federal Register notice. All other actions in the amendment will become effective on December 16, 2009.

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance
Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

So with this now said and done the sale of any fish that falls under the snapper/ grouper complex can not be sold unless you hold a Federal South Atlantic Snapper/Grouper Permit..No Sea Bass, Pinkies, B-Liners ect...

[Capt. Lyndon]

This sucks. So much for what we were talking about last night.

[jackdaniels]

You also must have some dehooking tool like an arc dehooker etc.