National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration July 28, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The SEDAR 41 assessments of the South Atlantic stocks of red snapper and gray triggerfish will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: A Data Workshop; an Assessment Workshop; and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS publishes regulations to amend the hired master provisions of the Individual Fishing Quota Program (IFQ Program) for the fixed-gear commercial Pacific halibut and sablefish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). The IFQ Program allows initial recipients of catcher vessel halibut and sablefish quota share (QS) to hire a vessel master to harvest an annual allocation of individual fishing quota (IFQ) derived from the QS. This rule prohibits an initial QS recipient from using a hired master to harvest IFQ derived from catcher vessel QS received by transfer after February 12, 2010, with a limited exception for small amounts of QS. This final rule is necessary to maintain progress toward a predominantly owner-onboard fishery. In addition, this action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982, the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the BSAI, the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the GOA, and other applicable laws.