Department of Commerce March 2, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold meetings of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), American Samoa Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan Regional Ecosystem Advisory Committee (REAC), Advisory Panel (AP), and Plan Team (PT). The Council will also hold its 144th meeting to consider advisory group recommendations and take actions on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

NMFS announces the intent to issue exempted fishing permits (EFPs) to Pacific whiting shoreside vessels and first receivers that participate in a maximized retention and monitor program for the 2009 Pacific whiting shoreside fishery. EFPs are needed to allow vessels to retain catch in excess of the cumulative limits and to retain prohibited species until offloading. EFPs are also needed to allow first receivers to possess Pacific whiting deliveries with prohibited species and catch that is in excess of cumulative limits, and to used hopper type scales to derive accurate catch weights prior to sorting. Issuance of the EFPs would allow NMFS to collect catch data on incidentally caught species, including salmonids listed under the Endangered Species Act, and would allow new components of an overall monitoring program to be investigated before implementation of a regulatory program.