Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; Regulatory Amendment 36

What it does

NMFS issues regulations to implement Regulatory Amendment 36 under the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic (Snapper-Grouper FMP). This final rule revises the recreational vessel limits for gag and black grouper. Additionally, this final rule revises the transit storage requirements for commercial on-demand, also known as ropeless, black sea bass pots. The purpose of these regulatory changes is to increase biological benefits to the gag and black grouper stocks, and to allow more practical transit of vessels through certain gear restricted areas with on-demand black sea bass pots on board, consistent with mandates in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What changed in the regulation

1 part of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

50 CFR 622

Wording on eCFR: the day before it took effect and from the day it took effect (first part listed).

Compared with

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has published 185 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 184 in all of 2025.

Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.

Before this

1 earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 0648-BN69 since Jan. 1, 2025.

• April 23, 2026 Proposed rule; request for comments. Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; Regulatory Amendment 36

What happens next and when

This final rule is effective on October 28, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Title 50 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register