National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration August 24, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule requires specific gear configuration for pelagic longline fishing in the South Pacific. The requirements apply to U.S. vessels longer than 40 ft (12.2 m) while fishing south of the Equator, and include minimum float line and branch line lengths, number of hooks between floats, and distance between floats and adjacent hooks. The rule also limits the number of swordfish taken. The action is intended to ensure that longline hooks fish deeper than 100 meters (m) to reduce interactions with Pacific green sea turtles. This final rule also makes administrative clarifications to the names of several tunas and marlins.

NMFS has determined that the Atlantic tunas General category daily Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) retention limit should be adjusted from one to three large medium or giant BFT for the September, October- November, and December time periods of the 2011 fishing year, based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments. This action applies to Atlantic tunas General category (commercial) permitted vessels and Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat category permitted vessels (when fishing commercially for BFT).

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP) Workgroup will meet in Anchorage, AK.