Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Groundfish Fishery Management Measures

NMFS announces the January through February 2004 management measures for groundfish taken in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. Management measures for January through February 2004 are intended to prevent overfishing; Rebuild overfished species; minimize incidental catch and discard of overfished and depleted stocks; provide equitable harvest opportunity for both recreational and commercial sectors; and, within the commercial fisheries, allow achievement of harvest guidelines and limited entry and open access allocations to the extent practicable. Elsewhere in this separate part of the Federal Register, NOAA is proposing to make the amendments to 50 CFR 660 effective indefinitely.