Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Western Pacific Pelagic Fisheries; American Samoa Longline Limited Entry Program

NMFS issues a final rule to implement Amendment 11 to the Fishery Management Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region (Amendment 11), which establish a limited entry system for pelagic longline vessels fishing in waters of the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around American Samoa. The action is necessary to effectively manage the pelagics fisheries around American Samoa. This final rule is intended to establish management measures that would stabilize effort in the fishery to avoid a "boom and bust" cycle of fishery development that could disrupt community participation and limit opportunity for substantial participation in the fishery by indigenous islanders.