2021-08997: Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 2021 Harvest Specifications for Pacific Whiting, and 2021 Pacific Whiting Tribal Allocation

Summary

NMFS issues the revised proposed rule for the 2021 Pacific whiting fishery under the authority of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Pacific Whiting Act of 2006 (Whiting Act), and other applicable laws. NMFS issued a proposed rule on February 16, 2021 that proposed the 2021 Pacific whiting tribal allocation and set-asides for research and incidental mortality. NMFS is issuing a revised proposed rule to include additional actions due to the lack of a bilateral agreement on the 2021 Pacific whiting coastwide total allowable catch (TAC) by the Governments of Canada and the United States. This revised proposed rule includes the 2021 coastwide TAC and U.S. TAC for Pacific whiting as determined by NMFS under the Whiting Act, the non-tribal sector allocations, and the tribal allocation and set-asides included in the original proposed rule. The proposed measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, achieve optimum yield, and ensure that management measures are based on the best scientific information available.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 1 part of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

• 50 CFR 660 Fisheries off West Coast States