Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Annual Specifications and Management Measures for the 2017 Tribal and Non-Tribal Fisheries for Pacific Whiting

NMFS issues this final rule for the 2017 Pacific whiting fishery under the authority of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), and the Pacific Whiting Act of 2006. This final rule announces the 2017 U.S. Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 441,433 metric tons (mt) of Pacific whiting, establishes a set-aside for research and bycatch of 1,500 mt, and announces Pacific whiting allocations shown in Table 1 (see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION) to the tribal and non-tribal fisheries for 2017. This rule will ensure that the 2017 Pacific whiting fishery is managed in accordance with the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the FMP, the Pacific Whiting Act of 2006, and other applicable laws.