Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Northern Anchovy/Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery; Amendment 8

NMFS issues regulations to implement Amendment 8 to the Northern Anchovy Fishery Management Plan. This rule removes jack mackerel north of 39 deg. N. lat. from the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan and adds four species to the management unit of the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) (formerly the Northern Anchovy Fishery Management Plan (FMP)); defines a new fishery management area and divides it into a limited entry zone and two new subareas; establishes a procedure for setting annual specifications including harvest guidelines and quotas; provides for closure of the directed fishery when the directed portion of a harvest guideline or quota is taken; identifies fishing seasons for Pacific sardine and Pacific mackerel; establishes catch restrictions in the limited entry zone and, when the directed fishery for a CPS is closed, limits harvest of that species to an incidental limit set by the Southwest Regional Administrator, NMFS, (Regional Administrator); implements a limited entry program; authorizes the Regional Administrator to issue exempted fishing permits for the harvest of CPS that otherwise would be prohibited; and establishes a framework process by which management decisions could be made without amending the FMP. No regulations are required at this time to implement the overfishing definitions and designation of essential fish habitat (EFH). The intent of this action is to implement the provisions of Amendment 8 to the Northern Anchovy Fishery Management Plan, which will prevent overfishing, maximize yield from available resources, and control increasing harvesting capacity off the Pacific coast.