Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Restrictions on Frequency of Limited Entry Permit Transfers; Sorting Catch by Species; Retention of Fish Tickets

NMFS issues this final rule to implement management measures that restrict the frequency of limited entry permit transfers to once every 12 months, with transfers taking effect on the first day of a cumulative landings limit period. This rule also requires the sorting of all groundfish species with trip limits, size limits, quotas, or harvest guidelines at the point of landing, and the retention of landings receipts on board the vessel that has made those landings. This rule is intended to constrain the introduction of new fishing effort into the Pacific Coast groundfish fisheries, and to improve the enforceability of Federal and state fisheries regulations.