Economic Research Service September 2, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In January 2011, NMFS implemented the groundfish trawl rationalization program (a catch share program) for the Pacific coast groundfish limited entry trawl fishery. The program was implemented through Amendment 20 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan and the corresponding implementing regulations. Amendment 20 established the trawl rationalization program, which includes an Individual Fishing Quota program for limited entry trawl participants. Under current regulations, quota share (QS) permit owners must divest quota share holdings that exceed accumulation limits by November 30, 2015. This proposed action would make minor procedural modifications to the program regulations to clarify how divestiture and revocation of excess quota share could occur in November, 2015, and establish procedures applicable in the future if divestiture becomes necessary.

This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has found that the following four stocks of Pacific salmon are subject to overfishing: Chinook salmon Columbia River Basin: Upper River Summer; Chinook salmonWashington Coast: Willapa Bay Fall Natural; Chinook salmonWashington Coast: Grays Harbor Fall; and Coho salmonWashington Coast: Hoh. In addition, NMFS has found that the North Pacific swordfish stock in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, which is jointly managed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council and the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, is subject to overfishing. NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary, notifies the appropriate fishery management council (Council) whenever it determines that overfishing is occurring, a stock is in an overfished condition, a stock is approaching an overfished condition, or when a rebuilding plan has not resulted in adequate progress toward ending overfishing and rebuilding affected fish stocks. None of these stocks is in an overfished condition.

NMFS approves the transfer of 2015 commercial Atlantic bluefish quota from the State of North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virginia to the State of Rhode Island. These transfers comply with the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions, specified in federal regulations. This announcement also informs the public of the revised commercial quota for each state involved.