Fisheries off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Data Collection for the Trawl Rationalization Program

NMFS is collecting data to support implementation of a future trawl rationalization program under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). NMFS will collect ownership information from all potential participants in the trawl rationalization program. In addition, NMFS is notifying potential participants that the agency intends to use the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission's Pacific Fisheries Information Network (PacFIN) database, NMFS' Northwest Fisheries Science Center's Pacific whiting observer data from NORPAC (a database of North Pacific fisheries and Pacific whiting information), and the NMFS, Northwest Region, Sustainable Fisheries Division trawl- endorsed groundfish limited entry permit database to determine initial allocation of quota share (QS) for the trawl rationalization program, if it is approved and implemented.