National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration June 25, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule provides notice of the effective date of the collection-of-information requirements first published in the Federal Register on January 12, 2011. The collection-of-information requirements pertained to documentation for imports of fishery products from nations that are negatively certified for illegal fishing or bycatch of protected resources. The Shark Conservation Act, established additional criteria for certifying nations, and the import documentation requirements were subsequently revised by a final rule published on January 16, 2013. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the revised collection-of-information requirements upon publication of that final rule.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 97 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMP). If approved, Amendment 97 would limit Chinook salmon prohibited species catch (PSC) in Western and Central Gulf of Alaska (GOA) non-pollock trawl catcher/processor (C/P) and catcher vessel (CV) fisheries. This action would establish separate annual Chinook salmon PSC limits for trawl catcher/processors (Trawl C/P Sector), trawl catcher vessels participating in the Central GOA Rockfish Program (Rockfish Program CV Sector), and trawl catcher vessels not participating in the Central GOA Rockfish Program (Non-Rockfish Program CV Sector) fishing for groundfish species other than pollock. If a sector reaches its Chinook salmon PSC limit, NMFS would prohibit further fishing for non-pollock groundfish by vessels in that sector. This action also would establish and clarify Chinook salmon retention and discard requirements for vessels, shoreside processors, and stationary floating processors participating in both the GOA pollock and non-pollock groundfish trawl fisheries. This action is necessary to minimize the catch of Chinook salmon to the extent practicable in the GOA non-pollock trawl fisheries. Amendment 97 is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the FMP, and other applicable laws.