According to NOAA an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program for Groupers and Tilefishes has been introduced in the Gulf of Mexico and other changes to Commercial Reef Fish Regulations. It is told that the NOAA Fisheries Service approved Amendment 29 addressing new commercial regulations for Gulf of Mexico reef fish. A final rule implementing these regulations published in the Federal Register on August 31, 2009.
It is told that the rule establishes a grouper and tilefish IFQ program for commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico, establishes design elements of the IFQ program, makes changes to the red snapper IFQ program to align that program with the grouper and tilefish IFQ program, allows consolidation of reef fish commercial vessel permits, and establishes dual classifications for speckled hind and warsaw grouper.
NOAA informed that the grouper and tilefish IFQ program was created to address overcapitalization of the grouper and tilefish fleet. The IFQ program divides grouper and tilefish quotas among commercial fishermen. IFQ shares are the percent of the quotas assigned to each fisherman. The administrative functions associated with this program (e.g., registration and account setup, landing transactions, and transfers) are designed to be accomplished online; therefore, a participant must have access to a computer and the Internet.
It is told that the Regional Administrator will establish a formal appeals process and reserve three percent of the total available IFQ shares during the first year of the program for use in resolving disputes. IFQ share or allocation holders will be responsible for cost recovery fees and IFQ dealers will be responsible for fee collection and submission on a quarterly basis.
