National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration June 15, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS proposes revising the reporting requirements for vessels issued Atlantic herring (herring) permits, because more timely catch information is necessary to monitor herring catch against the stock- wide herring annual catch limit (ACL) and herring management area sub- ACLs, to help prevent sub-ACLs overages, and to reduce the chance of premature fishery closures. This proposal would require limited access herring vessels to report catch daily via vessel monitoring systems (VMS), open access herring vessels to report catch weekly via the interactive voice response (IVR) system, and all herring-permitted vessels to submit vessel trip reports (VTRs) weekly.

This rule clarifies regulations that apply to vessels operating in the guided sport (charter) fishery for halibut in International Pacific Halibut Commission Regulatory Area 2C (Southeast Alaska) and Area 3A (Central Gulf of Alaska). Under regulations implementing the charter halibut limited access program, operators of a vessel in Area 2C or Area 3A with one or more charter vessel anglers onboard that catch and retain halibut must have an Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Saltwater Charter Logbook onboard which specifies the person named on the charter halibut permit(s) being used onboard the vessel, and the charter halibut permit number(s) being used onboard the vessel. This interpretation clarifies that a charter operator may use the ADF&G Saltwater Charter Logbook issued for the vessel to record the charter halibut permit information. A charter vessel operator is not required to have a separate ADF&G Saltwater Charter Logbook issued in the name of the charter halibut permit holder.

NMFS issues this final rule to implement the approved actions identified in a regulatory amendment (Regulatory Amendment 9) to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP) prepared by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule reduces the recreational bag limit for black sea bass, increases the commercial trip limit for greater amberjack, and establishes commercial trip limits for vermilion snapper and gag. This rule also implements a minor revision to the mailing address for the NMFS Southeast Regional Administrator (RA), revises commercial trip limit codified text for greater amberjack to be consistent with respect to the commercial quota, and corrects two closed area coordinates published in a previous rulemaking. The intended effect of this final rule is to address derby-style fisheries for black sea bass, gag, and vermilion snapper while reducing the rate of harvest to extend the fishing seasons of these three species, to achieve optimum yield (OY) for greater amberjack, and to implement technical corrections to the regulations.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a forthcoming meeting of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC). The members will discuss and provide advice on issues outlined under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.