National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration June 24, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is opening directed fishing for Pacific Ocean perch (POP) in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully use the 2024 total allowable catch of POP specified for the Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI.

This rule implements the domestic 2024 harvest specifications for Pacific whiting fisheries off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California (collectively, the West Coast), including the 2024 Tribal allocation for the Pacific whiting fishery, the non-Tribal sector allocations, and a set-aside for incidental mortality in research activities and non-groundfish fisheries. NMFS issues this final rule for the 2024 Pacific whiting fishery under the authority of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Pacific Whiting Act of 2006, and other applicable laws. These measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, achieve optimum yield, ensure that management measures are based on the best scientific information available, and provide for the implementation of Tribal treaty fishing rights.