National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration October 2, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS proposes initial 2008 fishing year specifications for the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) fishery to set BFT quotas for each of the established domestic fishing categories and to set effort controls for the General category and Angling category. This action is necessary to implement recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), as required by the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA), and to achieve domestic management objectives under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). NMFS solicits written comments and will hold public hearings in October 2007 to receive oral comments on these proposed actions.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), its Joint Dogfish Committee, Research Set-Aside Committee (RSA), Law Enforcement Committee, and Executive Committee will hold public meetings.

The New England Fishery Management Council's (Council) Multispecies (Groundfish) Committee will meet to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher processor vessels using pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2007 directed fishing allowance (DFA) of Pacific cod specified for catcher processor vessels using pot gear in the BSAI.