Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Western Pacific Pelagic Fisheries; Hawaii-based Pelagic Longline Area Closure

As ordered by the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii, NMFS issues an emergency interim rule that closes certain waters in the central and north Pacific Ocean to longline fishing, imposes fishing gear restrictions, effort limits, fish sale restrictions, and catch reporting requirements, and requires increased observer coverage in the Hawaii-based pelagic longline fishery. This rule replaces an emergency interim rule issued by NMFS on December 23, 1999, and subsequently extended on June 26, 2000. Like that rule, the intent of this rule is to reduce adverse impacts to sea turtles by the Hawaii longline fishery while NMFS prepares a comprehensive environmental impact statement (EIS) that analyzes the environmental effects of fishing activities conducted under the Fishery Management Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region (FMP).