International Fisheries; Pacific Tuna Fisheries; Fish Aggregating Device Design and Reporting Requirements in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

NMFS is issuing and modifying regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act (TCA) of 1950, as amended, to implement two Resolutions adopted at the 101st Meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) in August 2023. These Resolutions include Resolution C-23-03 (Amendment to Resolution C-99-07 on Fish Aggregating Devices) and Resolution C-23-04 (On the Design and Biodegradability of Drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (DFADs) in the IATTC Area of Competence). This final rule modifies regulations for the design of fish aggregating devices (FADs) in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) to require that they be designed with non-entangling and biodegradable materials. The rule also requires that vessel owners and operators collect data related to the recovery, disposal, or recycling of FADs and submit these data to the IATTC, unless the information is already collected and submitted to the IATTC by an observer.