National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration March 31, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the NMFS, are delaying the effective date of a final rule that published on December 20, 2019.

We propose to approve sector operations plans and contracts, and grant regulatory exemptions for fishing years 2021 and 2022, provide preliminary Northeast multispecies annual catch entitlements to approved sectors for fishing year 2021, amend regulations required to administer electronic monitoring, and announce 2021 default specifications for seven Northeast multispecies stocks. Approval of sector operations plans and contracts is necessary to allocate annual catch entitlements to the sectors for sectors to operate. This action is intended to allow limited access permit holders to continue to operate or form sectors, as authorized under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, and to exempt sectors from certain effort control regulations to improve the efficiency and economics of sector vessels. We also announce our determination that electronic monitoring is sufficient for use instead of at-sea monitors to meet sector monitoring and reporting requirements. Lastly, we announce default specifications for Gulf of Maine winter flounder, Southern New England/ Mid-Atlantic winter flounder, redfish, ocean pout, Atlantic wolffish, Eastern Georges Bank cod, and Eastern Georges Bank haddock.