National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration July 26, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS issues this final rule to implement measures contained in Framework Adjustment 6 (Framework 6) to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) that will allow regional conservation equivalency in the summer flounder recreational fishery. The intent is to provide flexibility and efficiency to the management of the summer flounder recreational fishery, specifically by expanding the suite of management tools available when conservation equivalency is implemented. In addition, this final rule includes three administrative modifications to the existing regulations for clarification purposes.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement measures in FW 42 to the NE Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and FW 3 to the Monkfish FMP (Joint Framework). FW 42, which was developed by the New England Fishery Management Council (Council), is a biennial adjustment to the NE Multispecies FMP that would implement a rebuilding program for Georges Bank (GB) yellowtail flounder and modify NE multispecies fishery management measures to reduce fishing mortality rates (F) on six other groundfish stocks in order to maintain compliance with the rebuilding program of the FMP. FW 42 also proposes to modify and continue specific measures to mitigate the economic and social impacts of Amendment 13 to the NE Multispecies FMP and allow harvest levels to approach optimum yield (OY).