Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Extension of Emergency Rule

This action extends an existing emergency rule that was published in conjunction with the annual specifications and management measures for the Pacific coast groundfish fishery off Washington, Oregon, and California in 2000. The emergency authority was used to implement and designate as routine a number of management measures that are intended to achieve rebuilding plans for overfished stocks, reduce bycatch, prevent overfishing, maximize the harvest of healthy stocks while protecting and rebuilding overfished and depleted stocks, and equitably distribute the burdens among the different fishing sectors. The emergency rule is authorized by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).