Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan; Trawl Rationalization Program; Chafing Gear Modifications

This action modifies the existing chafing gear regulations for midwater trawl gear. This action includes regulations that affect all trawl sectors (Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota Program (IFQ), Mothership Cooperative Program (MS), Catcher/Processor Cooperative Program (C/P), and tribal fishery) managed under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (PCGFMP). Many Pacific whiting vessels also fish in the Alaska groundfish fisheries. This action establishes chafing gear restrictions for the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery that are more compatible with those for the Gulf of Alaska groundfish and Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands groundfish fisheries.