Dealers would have one week versus the current two weeks to submit purchase forms. The proposed rule published in the Federal Register on January 2, 2014 (79 FR 31077). The comment period ends on February 3, 2014.
The rule proposes the following:
1. Establishes a new single dealer permit that would be required to purchase products managed in the fishery management plans listed below.
South Atlantic Fishery Management Plans
Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources Golden Crab Fishery of the South Atlantic Region Shrimp Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (excluding penaeids) Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Spiny Lobster of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Plans
Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources Red Drum Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico
Atlantic Fishery Management Plans
Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery off the Atlantic States
2. Purchase forms would be submitted electronically, once per week. Forms would be due 11:59 p.m., local time, every Tuesday.
3. Dealers reporting purchases of king mackerel landed by the gillnet sector for the Gulf West
Coast Florida Southern Sub-Zone who would be required to submit forms daily by 6:00 a.m.
4. If no purchase is made, a no-purchase form must also be submitted online, once per week.
5. Delinquent reports automatically result in Gulf and South Atlantic dealer becoming ineligible to receive the specified federally managed species regardless of any notification by NOAA Fisheries. A dealer would only be authorized to receive the specified federally managed species if the dealer’s previous reports have been submitted and received by NOAA Fisheries.
This action will improve the completeness and timeliness of purchase information. Many commercial fisheries close when landings are projected to reach the commercial annual catch limits.
The current reporting frequency reduces the precision of the projections, often resulting in landings significantly less or greater than the annual catch limits. Overages affect the ability of stocks to rebuild when overfished, and may lead to overfishing conditions. Underages leave fish unharvested.
In implementing this proposed rule, NOAA Fisheries intends to use an effective date four months after the date of publication of the final rule (which will mean four months before permits and reporting are required), but not require those entities who already have dealer permits to submit an application for the new generic permit until their current permit comes up for renewal, even if it is well after the effective date.
However, new dealers should be sure to submit an application at least 30 days prior to the date they need the permit issued.
