Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Monkfish Fishery; Annual Adjustments
NMFS implements measures to establish target total allowable catch (TAC) levels for the monkfish fishery for the 2005 fishing year (FY), and adjust trip limits and days-at-sea (DAS) for limited access monkfish vessels fishing in the Southern Fishery Management Area (SFMA). Based on formulas established in Framework Adjustment 2 (Framework 2) to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), this final rule establishes FY 2005 target TACs of 13,160 mt for the Northern Fishery Management Area (NFMA), and 9,673 mt for the SFMA; and adjusts the trip limits for limited access monkfish vessels fishing in the SFMA to 700 lb (318 kg) tail weight per DAS for limited access Category A, C, and G vessels, and 600 lb (272 kg) tail weight per DAS for limited access Category B, D, and H vessels. This action also announces that the FY 2005 DAS available to all monkfish limited access vessels will be 39.3 DAS as a result of a DAS set-aside program implemented in Amendment 2 to the FMP.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration