Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reclassifying Sculpin Species in the Groundfish Fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska
fishery-mgmt · north pacific · Published 2020-07-10 · Effective 2020-08-10 · 85 FR 41427
Document
Document number
2020-14856
Federal Register citation
85 FR 41427
Type
Rule
Action
Final rule.
Category
fishery-mgmt
Region
north pacific
Publication date
2020-07-10
Effective date
2020-08-10
NOAA docket
Docket No. 200702-0176
Abstract
NMFS issues regulations to implement Amendment 121 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Management Area (BSAI FMP) and Amendment 110 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) (GOA FMP), collectively referred to as Amendments 121/110. This final rule prohibits directed fishing for sculpins by federally permitted groundfish fishermen and specifies a sculpin retention limit in the GOA and BSAI groundfish fisheries. This action is necessary to properly classify sculpins in the BSAI and GOA FMPs. This final rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), Amendments 121/ 110, the BSAI and GOA FMPs, and other applicable laws.