Department of Commerce June 17, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS announces that the Nantucket Lightship North Scallop Access Area will close to Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota scallop vessels for the remainder of the 2016 fishing year as of the effective date below. No vessel issued a Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota permit may fish for, possess, or land scallops from the Nantucket Lightship North Scallop Access Area. Regulations require this action once it is projected that 100 percent of trips allocated to the Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota scallop vessels for the Nantucket Lightship North Scallop Access Area will be taken.

This temporary rule implements possession limits and permit requirements for the commercial and recreational blueline tilefish fisheries in waters north of the Virginia/North Carolina border. These interim management measures are necessary to prevent a return to an unregulated fishery which could result in overfishing and to temporarily constrain fishing effort on the blueline tilefish stock while a long-term management plan is implemented. These measures are expected to constrain fishing mortality and help ensure the long-term sustainability of the stock, while potentially preventing overfishing.