Department of Commerce October 3, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 67 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMP). If approved, Amendment 67 would amend the limitations on use of quota share (QS) and individual fishing quota (IFQ) in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Under current regulations, IFQ derived from category B QS must be used on vessels greater than 60 ft (18.29 m) length overall (LOA) in Area 2C and the Southeast Outside District, unless the QS is a block of less than or equal to 5,000 lb (2.27 mt), based on 1996 total allowable catches (TACs). This action would allow all category B QS to be fished on a vessel of any length in all areas, including Area 2C, and is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the FMP, and other applicable laws. Comments from the public are welcome.

The agenda for the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Council (Council); its Research Set-Aside (RSA) Committee; its Protected Resources Committee; its Law Enforcement Committee; and, its Executive Committee meetings is updated to reflect the addition of a presentation by the National Marine Fisheries Service on the results of a recently completed peer review of the updated 2006 summer flounder stock assessment.

NMFS announces changes to management measures in the commercial and recreational Pacific Coast groundfish fisheries. These actions, which are authorized by the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), are intended to allow fisheries to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks.