Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Compensation for Collecting Resource Information

This action, authorized by the Magnuson-Stevens Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), implements provisions by which a vessel owner or operator who has collected resource information according to a NMFS-approved protocol may be compensated with the opportunity to harvest fish in excess of current vessel limits and/or outside other restrictions. This action is intended to improve the types and amounts of scientific information available for use in stock assessments and management of the Pacific coast groundfish fishery. This action must be implemented under the Magnuson-Stevens Act emergency rulemaking authority so that NMFS may contract with commercial fishing vessels to conduct resource surveys during the summer of 1998. The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is considering an amendment to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (PCGFMP) that would continue this compensation initiative beyond 1998.