Search Results for keywords:"Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act"

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced the receipt of an application from the Alaska Seafood Cooperative for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP), aiming to reduce bycatch of halibut in the North Pacific flatfish fishery by testing new excluder devices. This permit would allow the Cooperative to conduct field testing between August 2021 and December 2022 to develop a design that minimizes target species loss while reducing halibut bycatch. Public comments on this application can be submitted through February 12, 2021, and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council will consider the application during its meeting from February 1 to February 12, 2021. This experiment aligns with the goals of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

The Commerce Department, specifically the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to continue collecting information related to the Aleutian Islands pollock fishery. This collection involves The Aleut Corporation providing a list of its selected vessels and processors to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to manage pollock fishing and ensure quotas are not exceeded. This renewal does not change the existing procedure but updates the hourly wage rate for participants. Public comments are invited before final approval.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a final rule to update regulations on the confidentiality of information under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. This rule aligns with legislative changes such as the 2006 Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization, the 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act, and amendments from the 2015 Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act. It ensures that confidential information collected for fisheries management is protected, though certain conditions allow for its disclosure, for example, for enforcement purposes or international agreements. The rule also includes provisions for transparency and cooperation between federal and state agencies, while maintaining the necessary confidentiality in line with legal requirements.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of NOAA, has issued a final rule under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to implement rebuilding plans for three overfished salmon stocks on the West Coast: Juan de Fuca, Queets, and Snohomish natural coho salmon. These stocks were declared overfished due to a decline in spawning escapement between 2014 and 2016. Although comments from the public were mostly supportive, some suggested more restrictive measures. NMFS concluded that habitat conditions, rather than fishing, primarily caused the decline, and thus, further restrictions were not deemed necessary. The rule aims to rebuild the salmon stocks within 10 years while considering the impact on fishing communities.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has issued a notice about various fish stocks that are either currently overfished or undergoing overfishing. This includes the Gulf of Mexico cobia, lane snapper, South Atlantic golden tilefish, and silky shark in the Pacific Ocean, which have been identified as subject to overfishing. Also highlighted are the Sacramento River Chinook salmon and other species, which remain overfished, while Pacific bluefin tuna is both overfished and experiencing overfishing. The NMFS is working with regional fishery management councils to address these issues.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced a change in the fee rate for the Pacific Coast Groundfish fishery to help repay a loan related to their fishing capacity reduction program. Starting January 1, 2025, the fee rate will be lowered from 3.5% to 2.25% for all groundfish landings. This adjustment is necessary to make sure the loan is paid off within the planned 30-year period. Payments for these fees will be due by February 14, 2025.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a public webinar on February 9, 2021, as part of the SEDAR 71 assessment of the South Atlantic gag grouper stock. This webinar will cover discussions on data and modeling, and finalize these discussions as part of a multi-step process to determine the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. The assessments are carried out in collaboration with various fishery management councils and commissions. The meeting is open to the public, and accommodations are available for people with disabilities.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council has started its yearly process for managing the 2025 ocean salmon fisheries. They have announced the availability of related documents and the dates and locations for upcoming meetings and public hearings. Written comments on the salmon management options must be submitted online before the April 2025 Council meeting. The Council will host public hearings in March 2025 to discuss the proposed salmon fishery management alternatives, with details available on their website.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is organizing a public meeting of the Ad Hoc Charter For-hire Data Collection Advisory Panel. This meeting will take place on February 24, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at their office in Tampa, Florida. The agenda includes discussing economic data collection methods, reviewing a draft document on For-hire Data Collection, and exploring outreach approaches for a new data collection program. Public comments will also be invited, and further information can be found on the Gulf Council's website.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is organizing a virtual meeting for its Law Enforcement Technical Committee (LETC) on January 16, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST. The meeting will cover topics such as the review of Federal Charter Vessel ID Marking Requirements and the 20-Fathom Recreational Seasonal Closure for shallow-water grouper, as well as discussions on nominations for Officer/Team of the Year. The meeting is open to the public and will be held online, with details available on www.gulfcouncil.org.