National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration October 30, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Social Science Plan Team will meet telephonically on November 14, 2017.

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in an abbreviated framework action to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) Fishery Management Council (Council). This proposed rule would remove the limit on the number of unrigged hooks that a commercial reef fish vessel with a bottom longline endorsement is allowed on board when using or carrying bottom longline gear in the Federal waters of the eastern Gulf. The proposed rule would not change the limit of 750 hooks that these vessels can have rigged for fishing at any given time. The purpose of the proposed rule is to reduce the regulatory and potential economic burden to bottom longline fishers.

NMFS proposes this interim measure to change the management of the Pacific whiting at-sea sectors' (i.e., the Mothership (MS) and Catcher/Processor (C/P) sectors) allocations for darkblotched rockfish and Pacific ocean perch (POP) by managing the allocations as set-asides rather than as total catch limits. This rule also proposes regulations in accordance with Amendment 21-3 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (PCGFMP) (see electronic access under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION). The proposed action would revise regulations so that higher than anticipated harvest of darkblotched rockfish or POP that exceeds a sector's initial distribution of those species would not require automatic closure of one or more of the Pacific whiting at-sea sectors. This action is intended to reduce the risk of those sectors not attaining their respective Pacific whiting allocations based on the incidental catch of darkblotched rockfish or POP, when allowing the sector(s) to remain open would not exceed their respective annual catch limit (ACLs). This action would not change or increase the risk of exceeding darkblotched rockfish or POP ACL, as the proposed rule would also allow NMFS to close one or both of the MS and C/P sectors via automatic action if the species-specific set-aside amounts plus the available reserve for unforeseen catch events, known colloquially as the ``buffer,'' are anticipated to be exceeded.