WHAT/WHEN:
The commercial harvest of blueline tilefish in federal waters of the South Atlantic will close at 12:01 a.m., local time on July 30, 2019. During the commercial closure, all sale or purchase of blueline tilefish is prohibited, and harvest or possession of blueline tilefish in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational sector is open.
WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:
The 2019 commercial catch limit is 87,521 pounds whole weight. According to the accountability measure, harvest must close to prevent the catch limit from being exceeded.
AFTER THE CLOSURE:
The closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels that have a federal commercial permit for South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper.
The 2020 commercial fishing season for blueline tilefish in the South Atlantic will open on January 1, 2020, with a commercial catch limit of 87,521 pounds whole weight.
This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=383bc195ccbeab4fd6bec1c24905df34&node=sp50.12.622.i&rgn=div6#se50.12.622_1193.
