National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration August 2, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council submitted Amendment 32 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan to the Secretary of Commerce for review. If approved, Amendment 32 would: create a new type of Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Area that prohibits fishing with non-trawl bottom contact gear for all groundfish fisheries and the non-tribal directed commercial halibut fishery; remove the Cowcod Conservation Area seaward of California for commercial and recreational groundfish non-trawl fisheries; create and authorize the use of Groundfish Exclusion Areas as a new type of Groundfish Conservation Area; authorize the use of Block Area Closures for groundfish non-trawl fisheries, and make necessary administrative changes to relevant sections of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. Altogether, these changes are anticipated to provide additional fishing opportunity to groundfish non-trawl fishery sectors while continuing to protect rebuilding yelloweye rockfish and mitigating fishing impacts to sensitive areas.

On May 5, 2023, NMFS published a proposed rule for Amendment 15 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) on spatial fisheries management and electronic monitoring cost allocation. On May 8, 2023, NMFS published a notice of intent for scoping of Amendment 16 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP on shark management. In both actions, NMFS announced several public hearings and webinars to provide the opportunity for public comment. This notice announces that NMFS is adding a public hearing for both Amendment 15 and Amendment 16 based on public interest.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office for Coastal Management, will hold an in-person public meeting to solicit input on the performance evaluation of the Puerto Rico Coastal Management Program. NOAA also invites the public to submit written comments.

NMFS closes the Harpoon category fishery for large medium and giant (i.e., measuring 73 inches (185 cm) curved fork length (CFL) or greater) Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) for the remainder of the 2023 fishing year. This closure applies to Atlantic Tunas Harpoon category permitted vessels.

The SEDAR 77 assessment of the Atlantic stock of hammerhead sharks will consist of a stock identification (ID) process, data webinars/workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a review workshop. A SEDAR 77 Review Workshop has been scheduled in person for August 28 through September 1, 2023. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS is closing the directed longfin squid fishery through the remainder of 2023 Trimester II (May 1-August 31, 2023). This closure is required by regulation because NMFS projects that 90 percent of the longfin squid Trimester II quota will be caught by the effective date. This action is necessary to comply with the regulations implementing the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan and is intended to prevent overharvest of longfin squid.