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The New England Fishery Management Council is holding a public hybrid meeting on January 21, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. to discuss fishing measures for the Western Gulf of Maine cod and Gulf of Maine haddock for 2025. The meeting will take place at the Four Points by Sheraton in Wakefield, MA, with an option to participate via webinar. The Groundfish Recreational Advisory Panel will present recommendations for consideration by the full Council. The meeting is accessible to people with disabilities, and accommodations can be requested in advance.

The Department of Commerce is seeking public input on a proposed information collection related to fishing permits for various Pacific Islands, including Hawaii and American Samoa. The NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service requires vessel owners and permit holders to register their vessels to manage fisheries effectively. This notice extends the comment period by an additional 30 days, inviting individuals, businesses, and federal agencies to comment on these requirements. Feedback is crucial for evaluating the impact and minimizing the reporting burden on the public.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is considering giving special permits to some fishing boats, allowing them to go beyond usual fishing rules. This is to support a research project by the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute. The project aims to study American lobster genetics to improve how lobsters are managed in specific U.S. regions. Comments on this proposal are being accepted until August 1, 2025.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a final rule to establish harvest specifications and management measures for the 2025-26 Pacific Coast groundfish fishery. This rule sets limits on how much groundfish can be caught each year and revises management measures to prevent overfishing and help rebuild stock. Key changes include implementing a rebuilding plan for California quillback rockfish and updating allocation frameworks and fishing regulations. The rule also introduces a new permit system for the directed open access fishery and includes technical corrections and modifications to existing regulations.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued a temporary final rule adjusting the annual commercial quotas for Atlantic sharks for 2025. These changes are based on shark underharvests from the 2024 fishing year, allowing additional fishing opportunities for commercial shark fishermen. The rule specifies that certain shark species, such as Gulf of America blacktip and smoothhound sharks, can have unharvested quotas carried over because they are not overfished. However, other shark groups like Hammerhead and Blacknose, which are either overfished or overfishing is occurring, won't have quota carryovers. The rule is effective from April 16, 2025, through December 31, 2025.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is announcing a virtual stakeholder meeting about the management of North Pacific albacore (NPALB) on February 20, 2025. This meeting is to prepare for future discussions regarding the Management Strategy Evaluation for NPALB fisheries at international commission meetings in 2025. Interested participants need to register by February 13, 2025. The meeting will cover topics like fishing intensity, catch limits, and updates to logbooks, with more details to be provided in advance.

The Department of Commerce is seeking public comments on a proposed information collection related to vessel and gear identification requirements for fishing in the Pacific Islands Region. This effort is part of compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act and primarily affects vessels with federal permits, requiring them to display specific identification markings. These regulations aid in fishery law enforcement and help in tracking fishing activities. The public has 30 additional days to submit comments on these requirements through the website reginfo.gov.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued a temporary rule that prohibits the retention of shortraker rockfish in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska. This rule applies to all vessels except those enrolled in the Central GOA Rockfish Program with a cooperative quota permit. It is effective from April 15, 2025, through the end of the year, because the allowable catch limit for these fish has already been reached. This decision ensures the sustainability of the fish population as part of broader efforts to manage fishery resources under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is closing the Atlantic southern zone for commercial Spanish mackerel fishing starting February 3, 2021, as the fishing quota is expected to be reached by then. This closure aims to protect the Spanish mackerel resources, and it will last until February 28, 2021. During this period, those with permits can still keep Spanish mackerel under recreational limits, but selling or purchasing these fish from the southern zone is prohibited unless they were already harvested and stored before the closure. The commercial fishing for Spanish mackerel will reopen on March 1, 2021.