Fisheries Off West Coast States; Highly Migratory Fisheries; Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management Plan for West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species; Authorization of Deep-Set Buoy Gear

This rule implements Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species (HMS FMP), which authorizes deep-set buoy gear (DSBG) as a legal gear type for targeting swordfish and catching other highly migratory species (HMS) off the U.S. West Coast. The rule establishes a limited entry (LE) permitting regime for use of DSBG in the Southern California Bight (SCB). DSBG fishing will be permitted on an open-access basis outside of the SCB, in Federal waters off of California and Oregon, for all vessels possessing a general HMS permit with a DSBG endorsement. DSBG fishing will not be permitted in Federal waters off of Washington. This final rule includes definitions for two configurations of DSBG-- standard and linked--and specifies the LE management area, permitting process, and requirements for use of the gear.