National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration April 10, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is requesting information about any individual's or company's plan or intent to seek authorization for a U.S. purse seine vessel to participate in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) purse seine fishery, as managed under the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act), the South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988 (SPTA) and other law, if it is not currently authorized to do so. The Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Commission) recently agreed to new restrictions on the replacement of purse seine vessels in Commission members' fleets. NMFS intends to use information submitted in response to this notice to identify any purse seine vessels, whether existing, under construction, or yet to be constructed, that might replace one or more currently licensed vessels. This information will be used to help satisfy the obligations of the United States as a party to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention) and as a member of the Commission.

This rule proposes regulations to implement measures in Amendment 3 to the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan, which was developed by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils. The proposed management measures include implementing a research set-aside program, updating essential fish habitat definitions, allowing rollover of specifications, and eliminating the seasonal allocation of the commercial quota. These administrative measures are intended to improve the implementation of the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan and provide benefits to the spiny dogfish fishery.