Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Western Pacific Crustacean Fisheries; Vessel Monitoring System

NMFS issues this final rule to implement a vessel monitoring system (VMS) program in the crustaceans fishery of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Under this program, a vessel equipped with an operational VMS unit may enter Crustaceans Permit Area 1 (CPA 1) except for the subarea consisting of the area seaward 50 nautical miles (nm) from the geographical center of the islands and banks within CPA 1 with lobster traps on board during the closed season. This rule is necessary to remove a restriction on fishermen so that they may reduce the transit distance and time needed to begin fishing at distant fishing grounds. The intended effect of this action is to reduce fishing on lobster on grounds closest to the main Hawaiian Islands by encouraging the distribution of fishing effort throughout the management area.