National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration November 5, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Joint Groundfish Advisory and Recreational Advisory Panels via webinar to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

NMFS withdraws the proposed rule for "Catch and Retention Limits for Striped Marlin in the Western and Central North Pacific Ocean North of the Equator" that published in the Federal Register on February 26, 2024. This proposed rule was intended to satisfy Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) obligations to address U.S. fishing vessels' relative impact on this internationally managed stock that, based on a prior stock assessment and domestic status determination criteria, NMFS determined was overfished. NMFS is now withdrawing the proposed rule because NMFS has determined the stock is no longer overfished, not approaching an overfished condition, and is rebuilding, based on a more recent assessment. Thus, the factual and legal bases for the proposed rule no longer apply.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod from trawl catcher vessels and from catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using pot gear to catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear, Amendment 80 vessels, and catcher/processors using hook- and-line gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to allow the 2024 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to be harvested.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a hybrid meeting of its Groundfish Committee to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.