Antarctic Marine Living Resources; Use of Centralized-Vessel Monitoring System and Importation of Toothfish; Re-export and Export of Toothfish; Applications for Krill Fishing; Regulatory Framework for Annual Conservation Measures

NMFS (on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce) issues this final rule to facilitate conservation and management of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR). The regulations: further detail current U.S. requirements to only allow importation and/or re-exportation of frozen toothfish or toothfish product with verifiable documentation that the harvesting vessel participated in the Centralized-Vessel Monitoring System (C-VMS) regardless of where the fish was harvested; revise the NMFS catch-documentation requirements for re-exporting toothfish and add requirements for exporting U.S.-caught toothfish; require applicants for an AMLR harvesting permit for krill to apply to NMFS no later than June 1 preceding the harvesting season for krill; and rescind the existing regulatory framework for annual management measures. The intent of the rule is to further detail requirements for importing and re-exporting toothfish, to facilitate enforcement, to fulfill U.S. obligations in the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), and to simplify the process for informing the public of annual conservation measures.