National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration April 9, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action implements revisions to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program affecting the limited entry midwater trawl fisheries managed under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This action revises the primary season- opening date for the Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program midwater trawl fishery (targeting both whiting and non-whiting species) to May 15 north of 40[deg]30' N. lat. to the U.S./Canada border. This moves the season a month earlier for waters off the coasts of Washington and Oregon, and a month and half later for waters off the coast of northern California (north of 40[deg]30' N. lat.). This action increases consistency in the season start date along the coast and between the shorebased and at-sea midwater trawl fleets.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in Framework Amendment 2 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic (CMP) Resources in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region (Framework Amendment 2), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils (Councils). If implemented, this proposed rule would remove the unlimited commercial trip limit for Spanish mackerel in Federal waters off the east coast of Florida on weekdays beginning December 1 of each year. Since the trip limit system has been in place, fishery conditions and regulations have changed. This proposed rule intends to modify the current trip limit system to better fit the current fishery conditions and catch limits for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel in the southern zone, while increasing social and economic benefits of the CMP fishery.