Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Monkfish Fishery; Framework Adjustment 2

NMFS implements measures contained in Framework Adjustment 2 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This final rule modifies the monkfish overfishing definition reference points and optimum yield (OY) target control rule to be consistent with the best scientific information available and the provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). This rule also implements an expedited process for setting annual target total allowable catch levels (TACs); establishes a method for adjusting monkfish trip limits and days-at-sea (DAS) allocations to achieve the annual target TACs; and establishes target TACs and corresponding trip limits for the 2003 fishing year (FY 2003). As a result, this rule eliminates the default measures adopted in the original FMP that would have resulted in the elimination of the directed monkfish fishery and reduced incidental catch limits. Finally, this final rule clarifies the regulations pertaining to the monkfish area declaration requirements by specifying that vessels intending to fish under either a monkfish, Northeast (NE) multispecies, or scallop DAS, under the less restrictive measures of the Northern Fishery Management Area (NFMA), declare their intent to fish in the NFMA for a minimum of 30 days.