Department of Commerce April 11, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 117 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP), Amendment 106 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA FMP), and to update the species codes for octopus. This proposed rule would prohibit directed fishing for the squid species complex (squids) by Federally permitted groundfish fishermen and specify a squid retention limit in the GOA groundfish fisheries consistent with the existing BSAI squid retention limit, and would make minor corrections to the octopus species codes. This rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the groundfish FMPs, and other applicable laws.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a public workshop to provide a forum for fishermen, managers, and scientists from the United States and European Union to interact and discuss possible solutions to the complex problems associated with the small-mesh pelagic fisheries in their respective regions.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold public meetings of the Council in conjunction with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Fishery Data for Stock Assessment Working Group to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

NMFS proposes management measures for the 2018 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass recreational fisheries. The implementing regulations for these fisheries require NMFS to publish recreational measures for the fishing year and to provide an opportunity for public comment. The intent of these measures is to constrain recreational catch to established limits and prevent overfishing of summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass.

NMFS is issuing regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act to implement Resolution C-17-02 (Conservation Measures for Tropical Tunas in the Eastern Pacific Ocean During 2018-2020 and Amendment to Resolution C-17-01), which was adopted at the 92nd Meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) in July 2017. This final rule implements the C-17-02 fishing management measures for tropical tuna (i.e., bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), and skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)) in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). This final rule imposes the following on purse seine vessels with carrying capacity greater than 182 metric tons (mt) fishing for tropical tuna in the EPO: A 72-day EPO-wide closure, a 31-day area closure, and a requirement thatwith some exceptionsall tropical tuna be retained and landed. In addition, this final rule revises the restrictions for exemptions due to force majeure, establishes a bigeye tuna catch limit of 750 mt for U.S. longline vessels greater than 24 meters in overall length, and regulates the use and design of fish aggregating devices. This final rule is necessary for the conservation of tropical tuna stocks in the EPO and for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC.

This action implements an Omnibus Framework Adjustment to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's acceptable biological catch setting process, allows for adoption of peer-reviewed scientific information more quickly, and clarifies language in the Council's catch control rules. This action is necessary to provide an additional approach in catch setting that will help bring stability to quotas, ensure the best available scientific information is more readily available, and clarify existing control rule language. The intended effect of this action is to inform the public of these changes to the Council's catch setting control rules and process.