Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 23 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan

This action implements the approved trigger for the in-season closure accountability measure contained in Amendment 23 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. Amendment 23 was developed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in conjunction with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to address the allocation-related impacts of the significant changes in the distribution of black sea bass that have occurred since the original allocations were implemented. This rule implements a measure that allows a buffer before triggering a closure to the coastwide commercial fishery to address negative economic impacts of coastwide closures on states that have not fully harvested their commercial black sea bass state allocations.