Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 43 / Friday, March 4, 2022 / Proposed Rules 12409 

The Proposal 

The FAA proposes an amendment to 

14 CFR part 71 to establish Class E 

airspace extending upward from 700 

feet above the surface within a 7.1-mile 

radius of Jaffrey/Silver Ranch Airport, 

Jaffrey, NH, providing the controlled 

airspace required to support RNAV 

(GPS) standard instrument approach 

procedures for IFR operations at this 

airport. 

Class E airspace designations are 

published in Paragraph 6005 of FAA 

Order JO 7400.11F, dated August 10, 

2021, and effective September 15, 2021, 

which is incorporated by reference in 14 

CFR 71.1. The Class E airspace 

designations listed in this document 

will be published subsequently in the 

FAA Order JO 7400.11. 

FAA Order JO 7400.11, Airspace 

Designations and Reporting Points, is 

published yearly and effective on 

September 15. 

Regulatory Notices and Analyses 

The FAA has determined that this 

proposed regulation only involves an 

established body of technical 

regulations for which frequent and 

routine amendments are necessary to 

keep them operationally current. It, 

therefore: (1) Is not a ‘‘significant 

regulatory action’’ under Executive 

Order 12866; (2) is not a ‘‘significant 

rule’’ under DOT Regulatory Policies 

and Procedures (44 FR 11034; February 

26, 1979); and (3) does not warrant 

preparation of a Regulatory Evaluation 

as the anticipated impact is so minimal. 

Since this is a routine matter that will 

only affect air traffic procedures and air 

navigation, it is certified that this 

proposed rule, when promulgated, will 

not have a significant economic impact 

on a substantial number of small entities 

under the criteria of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act. 

Environmental Review 

This proposal will be subject to an 

environmental analysis in accordance 

with FAA Order 1050.1F, 

‘‘Environmental Impacts: Policies and 

Procedures’’ prior to any FAA final 

regulatory action. 

Lists of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71 

Airspace, Incorporation by reference, 

Navigation (air). 

The Proposed Amendment 

In consideration of the foregoing, the 

Federal Aviation Administration 

proposes to amend 14 CFR part 71 as 

follows: 

PART 71—DESIGNATION OF CLASS A, 

B, C, D, AND E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIR 

TRAFFIC SERVICE ROUTES; AND 

REPORTING POINTS 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 71 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g); 40103, 

40113, 40120; E.O. 10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 

1959–1963 Comp., p. 389. 

§ 71.1 [Amended] 

■ 2. The incorporation by reference in 

14 CFR 71.1 of Federal Aviation 

Administration Order JO 7400.11F, 

Airspace Designations and Reporting 

Points, dated August 10, 2021, and 

effective September 15, 2021, is 

amended as follows: 

Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas 

Extending Upward From 700 Feet or More 

Above the Surface of the Earth. 

* * * * * 

ANE MA E5 Jaffrey, NH [Established] 

Jaffrey/Silver Ranch Airport, NH 

(Lat. 42°48′18′ W′′ N, long. 72°00′11′′ W) 

That airspace extending upward from 700 

feet above the surface within a 7.1-mile 

radius of Jaffrey/Silver Ranch Airport. 

Issued in College Park, Georgia, on 

February 28, 2022. 

Andreese C. Davis, 

Manager, Airspace & Procedures Team South, 

Eastern Service Center, Air Traffic 

Organization. 

[FR Doc. 2022–04541 Filed 3–3–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 300 

[Docket No. 220225–0060] 

RIN 0648–BK82 

International Fisheries; Pacific Tuna 

Fisheries; 2022–2024 Commercial 

Fishing Restrictions for Pacific Bluefin 

Tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is proposing 

regulations under the Tuna Conventions 

Act of 1950, as amended (TCA), to 

implement Inter-American Tropical 

Tuna Commission (IATTC) Resolution 

C–21–05 (‘‘Measures for the 

Conservation and Management of 

Bluefin Tuna in the Eastern Pacific 

Ocean’’). This proposed rule would 

implement annual limits on commercial 

catch of Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus 

orientalis) in the eastern Pacific Ocean 

(EPO) for 2022–2024. This action is 

necessary to conserve Pacific bluefin 

tuna and for the United States to satisfy 

its obligations as a member of the 

IATTC. 

DATES: Comments on the proposed rule 

and supporting documents must be 

submitted in writing by April 4, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on this document, identified by NOAA– 

NMFS–2022–0011, by any of the 

following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

https://www.regulations.gov and enter 

‘‘NOAA–NMFS–2022–0011’’ in the 

Search box. Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ 

icon, complete the required fields, and 

enter or attach your comments. 

• Mail: Submit written comments to 

Celia Barroso, NMFS West Coast Region 

Long Beach Office, 501 W Ocean Blvd., 

Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802. 

Include the identifier ‘‘NOAA–NMFS– 

2022–0011’’ in the comments. 

Instructions: Comments must be 

submitted by one of the above methods 

to ensure they are received, 

documented, and considered by NMFS. 

Comments sent by any other method, to 

any other address or individual, or 

received after the end of the comment 

period, may not be considered. All 

comments received are a part of the 

public record and will generally be 

posted for public viewing on 

www.regulations.gov without change. 

All personal identifying information 

(e.g., name, address, etc.) submitted 

voluntarily by the sender will be 

publicly accessible. Do not submit 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive or protected 

information. NMFS will accept 

anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in 

the required fields if you wish to remain 

anonymous). 

Copies of the draft Regulatory Impact 

Review (RIR) and other supporting 

documents are available via the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal: http://

www.regulations.gov, docket NOAA– 

NMFS–2022–0011 or contact the Highly 

Migratory Species Branch Chief, Lyle 

Enriquez, 501 W Ocean Blvd., Suite 

4200, Long Beach, CA 90802, or 

WCR.HMS@noaa.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Celia Barroso, NMFS, 562–432–1850, 

Celia.Barroso@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 


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1See https://www.iattc.org/PDFFiles/IATTCInstruments/_English/IATTC_Antigua_

Convention%20Jun%202003.pdf. 

2See 80 FR 12621, March 10, 2015; 82 FR 18434, 

April 19, 2017; 84 FR 19905, May 7, 2019; 86 FR 

9910, Feb. 17, 2021. 3For more information about previous 

management measures, see the final rules 

implementing Resolution C–14–06 (80 FR 38986, 

July 8, 2015), Resolution C–16–08 (82 FR 18704, 

April 21, 2017), Resolutions C–18–01 and C–18–02 

(84 FR 18409, May 1, 2019), and Resolution C–20– 

02 (86 FR 16303, March 29, 2021). 

Background on the IATTC 

The United States is a member of the 

IATTC, which was established in 1949 

and operates under the Convention for 

the Strengthening of the Inter-American 

Tropical Tuna Commission Established 

by the 1949 Convention between the 

United States of America and the 

Republic of Costa Rica (Antigua 

Convention).1

The IATTC consists of 21 member 

nations and 5 cooperating non-member 

nations. The IATTC facilitates scientific 

research into, as well as the 

conservation and management of, tuna 

and tuna-like species in the IATTC 

Convention Area (Convention Area). 

The Convention Area is defined as 

waters of the EPO within the area 

bounded by the west coast of the 

Americas and by 50° N latitude, 150° W 

longitude, and 50° S latitude. The 

IATTC maintains a scientific research 

and fishery monitoring program, and 

regularly assesses the status of tuna, 

shark, and billfish stocks in the EPO to 

determine appropriate catch limits and 

other measures to promote sustainable 

fisheries and prevent overexploitation. 

International Obligations of the United 

States Under the Convention 

As a Party to the Antigua Convention 

and a member of the IATTC, the United 

States is legally bound to implement 

decisions of the IATTC. The TCA, 16 

U.S.C. 951 et seq., directs the Secretary 

of Commerce, in consultation with the 

Secretary of State and, with respect to 

enforcement measures, the U.S. Coast 

Guard, to promulgate such regulations 

as may be necessary to carry out the 

United States’ obligations under the 

Antigua Convention, including 

recommendations and decisions 

adopted by the IATTC. The authority of 

the Secretary of Commerce to 

promulgate such regulations has been 

delegated to NMFS. 

Pacific Bluefin Tuna Stock Status 

In 2011, NMFS determined 

overfishing was occurring on Pacific 

bluefin tuna (76 FR 28422, May 17, 

2011), which is considered a single 

Pacific-wide stock. Based on the results 

of a 2012 stock assessment conducted 

by the International Scientific 

Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like 

Species in the North Pacific Ocean 

(ISC), NMFS determined that Pacific 

bluefin tuna was not only subject to 

overfishing, but was also overfished (78 

FR 41033, July 9, 2013). Subsequently, 

based on the results of the 2014, 2016, 

2018, and 2020 ISC stock assessments, 

NMFS determined that Pacific bluefin 

tuna continued to be overfished and 

subject to overfishing.2 The ISC 

completed a stock assessment in July 

2020, which showed that the stock 

continues to be overfished and subject 

to overfishing when compared to 

commonly used reference points. 

Additionally, projections of catch 

scenarios (i.e., increases in various 

amounts and maintaining catch limits) 

presented in the 2020 stock assessment 

indicated that catch increases were 

possible while still meeting the 

rebuilding targets and consistent with 

the rebuilding plan agreed to at the 

IATTC and Western and Central Pacific 

Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). 

Pacific Bluefin Tuna Resolutions 

Recognizing the need to reduce 

fishing mortality of Pacific bluefin tuna, 

the IATTC has adopted catch limits in 

the Convention Area since 2012.3 At its 

Resumed 98th Meeting in October 2021, 

the IATTC adopted Resolution C–21–05, 

which establishes catch limits and 

reporting requirements for 2021–2024. 

This resolution was approved by the 

Secretary of State, prompting 

implementation by NMFS in this 

rulemaking. 

Since 2016, the IATTC and the 

Northern Committee (NC) to the WCPFC 

have held annual joint working group 

meetings intended to develop a Pacificwide approach to management of Pacific 

bluefin tuna. Conservation measures 

adopted by the IATTC and WCPFC have 

considered the recommendations of the 

Joint IATTC–WCPFC NC Working 

Group (Joint WG). Joint WG 

recommendations have included initial 

and second rebuilding targets and 

criteria that must be met before 

considering increased catch limits. At 

its 6th meeting held July 26–29 (Japan 

Standard Time), 2021, the Joint WG 

considered the ISC projections and 

noted that the initial rebuilding target 

may have been met early, and 

recommended the IATTC and WCPFC 

increase catch limits consistent with the 

rebuilding plan previously agreed to by 

the IATTC and WCPFC. Subsequently, 

the IATTC considered the Joint WG 

recommendation when it adopted 

Resolution C–21–05, which adopted 

catch limits consistent with the Joint 

WG recommendation. Furthermore, in 

July 2021 the Joint WG also 

recommended to strengthen the longterm harvest strategy of Pacific bluefin 

tuna by revising the rebuilding plan to 

specify when catch increases may be 

considered and when measures (e.g., 

catch limits) must be adjusted to ensure 

the second rebuilding target is met. This 

recommendation was adopted by the 

IATTC in Resolution C–21–01. 

Similar to previous IATTC resolutions 

on Pacific bluefin tuna, the main 

objective of Resolution C–21–05 is to 

reduce overfishing and to rebuild the 

stock by setting limits on commercial 

catch in the IATTC Convention Area 

during 2021–2024 consistent with a 

rebuilding plan. The Resolution 

established both biennial catch limits 

for 2021–2022 and 2023–2024 and 

single year catch limits for each year in 

2021–2024. The U.S. Pacific bluefin 

tuna biennial catch limit for 2021–2022 

is 739 metric tons (mt), not to exceed 

523 mt in a single year. For 2023–2024, 

the biennial catch limit is 1,017 mt, not 

to exceed 720 mt in a single year. As in 

previous resolutions, an IATTC member 

may add to the new catch limit any 

under-harvest from the previous catch 

limit in an amount not to exceed 5 

percent of the previous biennial catch 

limit. For example, the United States 

may add up to 5 percent of 600 mt (i.e., 

30 mt) from 2019–2020 to the 2021– 

2022 biennial catch limit. 

Preliminary estimates from 2021 

indicate U.S. commercial vessels caught 

less than 245 mt (precise estimates are 

not provided due to confidentiality 

restrictions). Considering the biennial 

limit of 739 mt for 2021–2022, the 

under-harvest from 2019–2020 

biennium added to the 2021–2022 

biennium (i.e., 30 mt, or 5 percent of 

600 mt), and preliminary estimates of 

the amount caught in 2021, the U.S. 

commercial limit in 2022 will be 523 mt 

(i.e., the single-year maximum). In 2023, 

the annual limit will be 720 mt, the 

single-year maximum for the 2023–2024 

biennium. The limit in 2024 is 

contingent on the amount of Pacific 

bluefin tuna caught in 2023 and if there 

is under-harvest from the 2021–2022 

biennial limit added to the 2023–2024 

biennial limit. 

Implementation of Previous IATTC 

Resolution on Pacific Bluefin Tuna 

NMFS promulgated regulations 

implementing Resolution C–20–02, 

which established a 425 mt commercial 

catch limit for U.S. vessels for 2021 only 

(86 FR 16303, March 29, 2021; 50 CFR 

300.25(g)). Although Resolution C–21– 

05 establishes a biennial catch limit for 

both 2021–2022 and 2023–2024, NMFS 


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will be writing regulations that apply to 

2022–2024. In addition to establishing 

an annual catch limit, the regulations 

for 2021 also imposed an initial trip 

limit of 20 mt, an intermediate trip limit 

of 15 mt, and a low 2 mt trip limit on 

individual fishing vessels that adjusted 

as catch thresholds were met throughout 

the year. These catch thresholds 

adjusted every quarter of the year to 

provide an adaptive management 

approach. 

While the catch limits, trip limit 

values, and thresholds to reduce the trip 

limits would be different, this proposed 

rule for 2022–2024 proposes a similar 

scheme to 2021 management in each 

year. In addition, the proposed rule 

would maintain an existing requirement 

for fish buyers to submit, within 24 

hours of landing, electronic landing 

receipts with Pacific bluefin tuna 

landings in California ports using the 

California E-tix system. The proposed 

rule would also maintain the existing 

in-season action announcement 

procedures, under which in-season 

actions to reduce trip limits and close 

the fishery (i.e., prohibit targeting, 

retaining, transshipping and landing of 

Pacific bluefin tuna) once the annual 

limit is met, it will be announced on the 

NMFS website, followed by a United 

States Coast Guard (USCG) Notice to 

Mariners, and a Federal Register Notice 

published as soon as practicable. 

PFMC Recommendations for the 

Implementation of C–21–05 

At its November 2021 meeting, the 

Pacific Fishery Management Council 

(PFMC) considered advisory body 

reports and recommended a scheme 

similar to what had been implemented 

for 2021. Because the catch limit in each 

year would be different, the PFMC 

recommended different values for the 

initial and intermediate trip limits. 

Additionally, based on recent fishery 

trends by gear-types that catch Pacific 

bluefin tuna incidentally, a different 

low trip limit (i.e., 3 mt instead of 2 mt) 

was recommended. The annual catch 

and trip limits proposed in this rule are 

consistent with the PFMC’s 

recommendation and are described in 

detail in the section titled Proposed 

Regulations for Pacific Bluefin Tuna in 

2022–2024. 

Pacific Bluefin Tuna Catch History 

While Pacific bluefin tuna catch by 

U.S. commercial vessels fishing in the 

Convention Area exceeded 1,000 mt per 

year in the early 1990s, annual catches 

have remained below 500 mt for more 

than a decade. From 2011–2020, catches 

have ranged from 11 mt to 487 mt, with 

annual average landings of 210 mt. 

Average annual Pacific bluefin tuna 

landings by U.S. commercial vessels 

fishing in the Convention Area from 

2011 to 2020 represent only 1.5 percent 

of the average annual landings of Pacific 

bluefin tuna for all fleets fishing in the 

Convention Area. For information on 

Pacific bluefin tuna harvests in the 

Convention Area through 2020, see 

http://isc.fra.go.jp/fisheries_statistics/ 

index.html. For preliminary information 

for 2021, see http://www.iattc.org/ 

CatchReportsDataENG.htm. 

Proposed Regulations for Pacific 

Bluefin Tuna for 2022–2024 

This proposed rule would establish 

catch and trip limits for U.S. 

commercial vessels that catch Pacific 

bluefin tuna in the Convention Area and 

landing receipt submission deadlines 

for 2022–2024. 

Catch Limits 

The catch limit for the entire U.S. 

fleet would be 523 mt in 2022. The 

biennial limit in 2023–2024 would be 

1,017 mt and not to exceed 720 mt in 

a single year; therefore, the 2023 catch 

limit would be 720 mt, and the 2024 

limit would be the lesser of the amount 

caught in 2023 subtracted from the 

biennial limit or 720 mt. 

Over-harvest and under-harvest of the 

previous biennial catch limit would be 

accounted for in the subsequent 

biennial catch limit. Any over-harvest of 

the previous catch limit would be 

deducted from the subsequent catch 

limit, and up to 5 percent of any underharvest of the previous catch limit 

would be added to the subsequent catch 

limit. Consequently, the 2023–2024 

biennial limit would be adjusted if there 

is an over-harvest or under-harvest of 

the 2021–2022 biennial limit. The 

proposed regulations refer to the 2021– 

2022 biennial limit for the purpose of 

clarifying its role in determining the 

2023–2024 biennial limit. 

NMFS would announce the 2023– 

2024 biennial limit in a notice 

published in the Federal Register in 

January or early February 2023. NMFS 

would announce the 2024 catch limit in 

a notice published in the Federal 

Register in January or early February 

2024. These notices would also be 

posted on the NMFS website: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/ 

sustainable-fisheries/pacific-bluefintuna-commercial-harvest-status. 

Trip Limits and Landing Receipt 

Submission Deadlines 

At the beginning of each period (semiannual or quarter), the initial trip limit 

would be imposed unless at the start of 

the period, the threshold for the 

intermediate or lower trip limit is met. 

Similarly, if the intermediate trip limit 

has been imposed during the previous 

period, the intermediate trip limit 

would remain in effect unless at the 

start of the next period the threshold to 

reduce the trip limit to the lower trip 

limit has been met. In each year, if the 

annual limit is estimated to be met, the 

fishery would be closed. 

2022 

The annual limit would be 523 mt 

with an initial trip limit of 20 mt. The 

trip limit would be reduced as follows: 

• January–June: If cumulative catch is 

within 323 mt of the annual limit (i.e., 

cumulative catch reaches 200 mt), the 

trip limit would be 15 mt. If cumulative 

catch is within 223 mt of the annual 

limit (i.e., cumulative catch reaches 300 

mt), the trip limit would be 3 mt. 

• July–September: If cumulative catch 

is within 273 mt of the annual limit (i.e., 

cumulative catch reaches 250 mt), the 

trip limit would be 15 mt. If cumulative 

catch is within 198 mt of the annual 

limit (i.e., cumulative catch reaches 325 

mt), the trip limit would be 3 mt. 

• October–December: If cumulative 

catch is within 223 mt of the annual 

limit (i.e., cumulative catch reaches 300 

mt), the trip limit would be 15 mt. If 

cumulative catch is within 100 mt of the 

annual limit (i.e., cumulative catch 

reaches 423 mt), the trip limit would be 

3 mt. 

2023 

The annual limit would be 720 mt 

with an initial trip limit of 30 mt. The 

trip limit would be reduced as follows: 

• January–June: If cumulative catch is 

within 320 mt of the annual limit (i.e., 

cumulative catch reaches 400 mt), the 

trip limit would be 20 mt. If cumulative 

catch is within 220 mt of the annual 

limit (i.e., cumulative catch reaches 500 

mt), the trip limit would be 3 mt. 

• July–September: If cumulative catch 

is within 290 mt of the annual limit (i.e., 

cumulative catch reaches 430 mt), the 

trip limit would be 20 mt. If cumulative 

catch is within 200 mt of the annual 

limit (i.e., cumulative catch reaches 520 

mt), the trip limit would be 3 mt. 

• October–December: If cumulative 

catch is within 250 mt of the annual 

limit (i.e., cumulative catch reaches 470 

mt), the trip limit would be 20 mt. If 

cumulative catch is within 100 mt of the 

annual limit (i.e., cumulative catch 

reaches 620 mt), the trip limit would be 

3 mt. 

2024 

If the annual limit is between 525 and 

720 mt, the initial trip limit would 30 


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mt, and the trip limit would be reduced 

as follows: 

• January–June: If cumulative catch is 

within 320 mt of the annual limit, the 

trip limit would be 20 mt. If cumulative 

catch is within 220 mt of the annual 

limit, the trip limit would be 10 mt. If 

cumulative catch is within 150 mt of the 

annual limit, the trip limit would be 3 

mt. 

• July–September: If cumulative catch 

is within 300 mt of the annual limit, the 

trip limit would be 20 mt. If cumulative 

catch is within 200 mt of the annual 

limit, the trip limit would be 10 mt. If 

cumulative catch is within 140 mt of the 

annual limit, the trip limit would be 3 

mt. 

• October–December: If cumulative 

catch is within 250 mt of the annual 

limit, the trip limit would be 20 mt. If 

cumulative catch is within 100 mt of the 

annual limit, the trip limit would be 3 

mt. 

If the annual limit is between 400 mt 

and 524 mt, the initial trip limit would 

be 20 mt, and the trip limit would be 

reduced as follows: 

• January–June: If cumulative catch is 

within 300 mt of the annual limit, the 

trip limit would be 15 mt. If cumulative 

catch is within 200 mt of the annual 

limit, the trip limit would be 3 mt. 

• July–September: If cumulative catch 

is within 250 mt of the annual limit, the 

trip limit would be 15 mt. If cumulative 

catch is within 150 mt of the annual 

limit, the trip limit would be 3 mt. 

• October–December: If cumulative 

catch is within 200 mt of the annual 

limit, the trip limit would be 15 mt. If 

catch is within 100 mt of the annual 

limit, the trip limit would be 3 mt. 

If the annual limit is between 297–399 

mt, the initial trip limit would 15 mt, 

and the trip limit would be reduced as 

follows: 

• January–June: If cumulative catch is 

within 220 mt of the annual limit, the 

trip limit would be 3 mt. 

• July–September: If cumulative catch 

is within 200 mt of the annual limit, the 

trip limit would be 3 mt. 

• October–December: If cumulative 

catch is within 100 mt of the annual 

limit, the trip limit would be 3 mt. 

If the annual limit is 296 mt or less, 

the trip limit would be 5 mt for the 

entire year. 

Under California law and regulations, 

electronic landing receipts (i.e., etickets) are required for landings in 

California and are required to be 

submitted to the California Department 

of Fish and Wildlife within three 

business days (see California Fish and 

Game Code section 8046 and 14 

California Code of Regulations § 197). 

Under this proposed rule, e-tickets 

would be required to be submitted 

within 24 hours if any Pacific bluefin 

tuna is included in a landing into 

California. This accelerated submission 

deadline would be required in order to 

better monitor catch limits. 

NMFS would estimate when the 

overall catch is expected to reach the 

thresholds to reduce the trip limit (e.g., 

from 30 mt to 20 mt, from 20 mt to 15 

mt, or from 15 mt to 2 mt) or the annual 

limit based on available fishery 

information, such as landing receipts. 

NMFS would then make decisions on 

in-season actions based on those 

estimates. NMFS would encourage 

owners or operators of purse seine 

vessels to call NMFS at 562–432–1850 

in advance of landing with an estimate 

of how much Pacific bluefin tuna was 

caught on each trip. 

In-Season Action Announcements 

In-season actions to reduce trip limits 

imposed by NMFS would be effective 

upon the time and date that would 

appear in a notice on the NMFS website 

(https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/westcoast/sustainable-fisheries/pacificbluefin-tuna-commercial-harveststatus). In-season actions would also be 

announced over a USCG Notice to 

Mariners broadcast three times per day 

for 4 days on USCG channel 16 VHF. 

NMFS would then publish a notice of 

the reduced trip limit in the Federal 

Register as soon as practicable. 

In 2022–2024, if NMFS determines 

that cumulative catch is expected to 

meet any of the thresholds described 

previously (based on landing receipts, 

or other available information) during 

the applicable months, an intermediate 

or lower trip limit would be imposed by 

NMFS using the in-season action 

procedures described previously. 

When NMFS determines that the 

annual catch limit is expected to be 

reached in each year (based on landings 

receipts or other available fishery 

information), NMFS would prohibit 

U.S. commercial fishing vessels from 

targeting, retaining, transshipping or 

landing Pacific bluefin tuna captured in 

the Convention Area for the remainder 

of the calendar year (i.e., fishery 

closure). NMFS would provide a notice 

on the NMFS website and the USCG 

would provide a Notice to Mariners 

three times per day for 4 days on USCG 

channel 16 VHF announcing that 

targeting, retaining, transshipping or 

landing of Pacific bluefin tuna captured 

in the Convention Area will be 

prohibited on a specified effective time 

and date through the end of that 

calendar year. Upon that effective date, 

a commercial fishing vessel of the 

United States could not be used to 

target, retain on board, transship, or 

land Pacific bluefin tuna captured in the 

Convention Area. However, any Pacific 

bluefin tuna already on board a fishing 

vessel on the effective date could be 

retained on board, transshipped, and/or 

landed within 14 days of the effective 

date, to the extent authorized by 

applicable laws and regulations. NMFS 

would then publish a notice of the 

fishery closure in the Federal Register 

as soon as practicable. In the event the 

trip limit was reduced early or the 

fishery was closed due to an 

overestimation of catch, NMFS could 

reverse immediately the prior in-season 

action to increase the trip limit or reopen the fishery after landing receipts 

have been received and the landed catch 

quantity confirmed. NMFS would 

announce these actions on the NMFS 

website and by USCG Notice to 

Mariners on USCG channel 16 VHF. 

Catch Reporting 

NMFS would continue to provide 

updates on Pacific bluefin tuna catches 

in the Convention Area to the public via 

the NMFS website: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/ 

sustainable-fisheries/pacific-bluefintuna-commercial-harvest-status. NMFS 

would update the NMFS website 

provided the updates do not disclose 

confidential information. These updates 

are intended to help participants in the 

U.S. commercial fishery plan for 

reduced trip limits and attainment of 

the annual limits. 

Classification 

The NMFS Assistant Administrator 

has determined that this proposed rule 

is consistent with the Tuna Conventions 

Act and other applicable laws, subject to 

further consideration after public 

comment. 

This proposed rule has been 

determined to be not significant for 

purposes of Executive Order 12866. 

Economic Analysis 

The Chief Counsel for Regulation of 

the Department of Commerce certified 

to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the 

Small Business Administration (SBA) 

that this proposed rule, if adopted, 

would not have a significant economic 

impact on a substantial number of small 

entities. Under the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act (RFA), the SBA defines 

a ‘‘small business’’ (or ‘‘small entity’’) as 

one with annual revenue that meets or 

is below an established size standard. 

On December 29, 2015, NMFS issued a 

final rule establishing a small business 

size standard of $11 million in annual 

gross receipts for all businesses 

primarily engaged in the commercial 


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fishing industry (NAICS 11411) for RFA 

compliance purposes only (80 FR 

81194). The $11 million standard 

became effective on July 1, 2016, and is 

to be used in place of the U.S. SBA 

current standards of $20.5 million, $5.5 

million, and $7.5 million for the finfish 

(NAICS 114111), shellfish (NAICS 

114112), and other marine fishing 

(NAICS 114119) sectors of the U.S. 

commercial fishing industry in all 

NMFS rules subject to the RFA after July 

1, 2016. Id. at 81194. 

The entities the proposed action 

would directly affect are all U.S. 

commercial fishing vessels that may 

target (e.g., coastal pelagic purse seine 

vessels) or incidentally catch (e.g., drift 

gillnet vessels) Pacific bluefin tuna in 

the Convention Area. In 2020, there 

were 137 participants in the commercial 

fishery, whether targeting Pacific 

bluefin tuna or catching Pacific bluefin 

tuna incidentally. Not all vessels that 

have participated in this fishery decide 

to do so every year. For example, the 

coastal purse seine fleet participation in 

the Pacific bluefin tuna fishery has 

ranged from 5–9 during 2016–2020. 

These vessels are characterized in 

greater detail below. U.S. commercial 

catch of Pacific bluefin tuna from the 

IATTC Convention Area is primarily 

made in waters off of California by the 

coastal pelagic small purse seine fleet, 

which targets Pacific bluefin tuna 

opportunistically, and other fleets (e.g., 

California large-mesh drift gillnet, 

surface hook-and-line, west coast 

longline, and Hawaii’s pelagic fisheries) 

that catch Pacific bluefin tuna in small 

quantities, such as incidentally. 

U.S. Coastal Purse Seine Fleet 

Since 2006, the average annual 

revenue per vessel from all finfish 

fishing activities for the U.S. purse seine 

fleet that have landed Pacific bluefin 

tuna has been less than $11 million, 

whether considering an individual 

vessel or per vessel average. From 2016– 

2020, purse seine vessels that caught 

tuna had an average ex-vessel revenue 

of about $1,044,000 per vessel per year 

(based on all species landed). Annually, 

from 2016 to 2020, the number of small 

coastal pelagic purse seine vessels that 

landed Pacific bluefin tuna to the U.S. 

West Coast ranged from five to nine. 

Table 1 below summarizes the number 

of coastal purse seine vessels landing 

Pacific bluefin tuna in each year 2016– 

2020, along with total annual landings 

and revenues. 

TABLE 1—NUMBER OF SMALL COASTAL PURSE SEINE VESSELS LANDING PACIFIC BLUEFIN TUNA TO THE U.S. WEST

COAST, ALONG WITH ANNUAL LANDINGS AND REVENUES FROM PACIFIC BLUEFIN TUNA, 2016–2020 

Year Number of 

vessels 

Landings 

(mt) 

Ex-vessel 

revenue 

2016 ............................................................................................................................................. 5 315.72 $351,767 

2017 ............................................................................................................................................. 8 466.43 516,135 

2018 ............................................................................................................................................. 8 11.53 11,378 

2019 ............................................................................................................................................. 9 226.11 258,937 

2020 ............................................................................................................................................. 6 116.19 126,054 

* Landings and ex-vessel revenue are for all small coastal purse seine vessels that landed Pacific bluefin tuna in the year. 

Source: Pacific Fisheries Information Network. 

The revenue derived from tuna is 11.3 

percent of the overall revenue for 

coastal pelagic purse seine vessels that 

landed tuna (annually from 2016–2020), 

with the majority of revenue in recent 

years from Pacific sardine, market 

squid, and to a lesser extent yellowfin 

tuna. In particular, on average (annually 

2016–2020) yellowfin tuna made up 65 

percent of all tuna landings by this fleet. 

In the few years prior to implementing 

a trip limit in 2015 (i.e., 2011–2014), 9 

of 13 (i.e., 69 percent) of trips conducted 

by purse seine vessels landing Pacific 

bluefin tuna exceeded 30 mt; all 

exceeded 20 mt. For 2015–2017, during 

which NMFS implemented a 25-mt trip 

limit, average catch per trip was 14.2 

mt; 23 of 61 trips (i.e., 38 percent) 

exceeded 20 mt, and 56 percent 

exceeded 15 mt. During 2018, NMFS 

imposed a 1-mt trip limit throughout the 

entire calendar year applicable to all 

U.S. commercial fishing vessels, except 

for drift gillnet, which was subject to a 

2 mt trip limit, and purse seine vessels 

very likely did not target Pacific bluefin 

tuna. During 2019–2020, during which 

NMFS implemented a 15-mt trip limit, 

the average catch per trip was 9.8 mt; 19 

of 35 trips (i.e., 54 percent) exceeded 10 

mt. Vessels meeting the trip limit before 

completion of a trip or fishing after the 

trip limit is reduced to 2 mt will likely 

shift their focus and target other species, 

such as yellowfin tuna, if available, or 

coastal pelagic species. This proposed 

rule is not expected to impose any 

direct regulatory costs on pelagic purse 

seine vessels, although vessels would 

face indirect operational costs if they 

approach the trip limits or the total 

catch approaches the annual limit. 

Because this proposed rule is expected 

to affect about one- to two-thirds of trips 

(depending on the initial trip limit as 

well as whether the trip limit has been 

reduced) of a fishery that accounts for 

about two percent of annual revenues, 

there is not expected to be a significant 

negative impact to profitability. 

Revenues and costs, and corresponding 

profitability, of coastal purse seine 

vessels are not expected to be 

significantly altered as a result of this 

proposed rule. 

Other U.S. Fleets That Catch Pacific 

Bluefin Tuna 

Since 2006, the average annual 

revenue per vessel from all finfish 

fishing activities for the U.S. fleet with 

landings of Pacific bluefin tuna in small 

quantities, such as from incidental catch 

or hook-and-line, has been less than $11 

million. These vessels include drift 

gillnet, surface hook-and-line, and 

longline gear-types. The revenues of 

these vessels are also not expected to be 

significantly altered by the proposed 

rule. From 2016 to 2020, between 7 and 

14 drift gillnet vessels, 40 to 116 surface 

hook-and-line vessels, and 1 longline 

vessel landed Pacific bluefin tuna. 

During these years, vessels with gears 

other than purse seine landed an annual 

average of 55.2 mt of Pacific bluefin 

tuna, worth approximately $487,300. Of 

these landings, only one trip out of 

approximately 1,700 over five years 

exceeded 3 mt of incidental Pacific 

bluefin tuna catch, and two additional 

trips were within 25 percent of the 

limit. The three vessels that took these 

trips close to or in excess of the 3 mt 

limit would be most likely to be 

impacted by this proposed rule; 

however, these trips represented less 

than 1 percent of these vessels’ average 

annual revenue from all species. 

Furthermore, the proposed rule would 

increase the lower trip limit from 2 mt 

to 3 mt to account for a potential 

increase in incidental catches per trip. 

As a result, it is anticipated that the 

proposed reduced trip limits will not 


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have a significant impact on these 

vessels. If the fishery is closed before 

the end of the calendar year, regulatory 

discards by these fleets are likely. Such 

a scenario would result in a greater 

impact to the fleet that catches Pacific 

bluefin tuna in small quantities, as 

opposed to the coastal purse seine fleet, 

which would simply cease targeting of 

Pacific bluefin tuna. This could result in 

a greater conservation benefit for the 

overfished Pacific bluefin stock. 

Although there are no 

disproportionate impacts between small 

and large business entities because all 

affected business entities are small, the 

impacts among the different types of 

vessel business entities will be different. 

Implementation of the reduced trip limit 

for an entire calendar year in this 

proposed action would impose a greater 

economic impact on the U.S. coastal 

purse seine fleet. Prior to the 

implementation of a 25-mt trip limit in 

2015, these vessels landed an average of 

41 mt per trip, and were capable of 

landing over 70 mt in a single trip 

(based on landings from purse seine 

vessels landing Pacific bluefin tuna in 

the EPO from 2011–2014). It is possible 

that the affected vessels will not target 

Pacific bluefin tuna if the trip limit is 3 

mt or less; however, as observed in 2018 

while the trip limit was restricted to 1 

mt for purse seine vessels, some purse 

seine vessels did land Pacific bluefin 

tuna in small quantities. A total of 523 

mt is available to U.S. vessels in 2022, 

and 1,017 mt in 2023–2024 for both 

years, combined. 

Pursuant to the RFA and NMFS’ 

December 29, 2015, final rule (80 FR 

81194), this certification was developed 

using NMFS’ revised size standards. 

NMFS considers all entities subject to 

this proposed action, which based on 

recent participation ranges from 88 to 

137 because participation fluctuates 

substantially from year-to-year, to be 

small entities as defined by both the 

former, lower size standards and the 

revised size standards. Because each 

affected vessel is a small business, there 

are no disproportional affects to small 

versus large entities. Based on 

profitability analysis above, the 

proposed action, if adopted, will not 

have significant adverse economic 

impacts on these small business entities. 

As a result, an initial regulatory 

flexibility analysis is not required and 

was not prepared for this proposed rule. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

This proposed rule does not contain 

a change to a collection of information 

requirement for purposes of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(PRA). The existing collection of 

information requirements would 

continue to apply under the following 

OMB Control Number(s): 0648–0778, 

Reporting and Notification 

Requirements in West Coast Pacific 

Bluefin Tuna Fishery. 

Notwithstanding any other provision 

of the law, no person is required to 

respond to, nor shall any person be 

subject to a penalty for failure to comply 

with, a collection of information subject 

to the requirements of the PRA, unless 

that collection of information displays a 

currently valid OMB Control Number. 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 300 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, 

Marine resources, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, Treaties. 

Dated: February 25, 2022. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

For the reasons set out in the 

preamble, 50 CFR part 300 is proposed 

to be amended as follows: 

PART 300—INTERNATIONAL 

FISHERIES REGULATIONS 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 300, 

subpart C, continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 951 et seq. 

■ 2. In § 300.24, revise paragraph (u) to 

read as follows: 

§ 300.24 Prohibitions. 

* * * * * 

(u) Use a United States commercial 

fishing vessel in the Convention Area to 

target, retain on board, transship, or 

land Pacific bluefin tuna in 

contravention of § 300.25(g)(2) through 

(6). 

* * * * * 

■ 3. In § 300.25, revise paragraph (g) to 

read as follows: 

§ 300.25 Fisheries management. 

* * * * * 

(g) Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus 

orientalis) commercial catch limits in 

the eastern Pacific Ocean for 2022– 

2024. 

(1) Biennial catch limit for 2021–2022. 

The biennial catch limit for 2021–2022 

is 739 metric tons. 

(2) Biennial catch limit for 2023–2024. 

The biennial catch limit for 2023–2024 

is either: 

(i) 1,017 metric tons increased by the 

amount, not to exceed 37 metric tons, of 

Pacific bluefin tuna catch remaining 

from the 2021–2022 U.S. commercial 

catch limit; or, 

(ii) 1,017 metric tons reduced by the 

amount of Pacific bluefin tuna caught in 

excess of the 2021–2022 U.S. 

commercial biennial catch limit. 

(3) Annual catch and trip limits for 

2022. For the calendar year 2022, all 

commercial fishing vessels of the United 

States combined may capture, retain, 

transship, or land no more than 523 

metric tons. A 20-metric ton trip limit 

will be in effect until any of the 

following criteria are met: 

If the time of year is . . . And NMFS anticipates the 

cumulative catch will be . . . Then the trip limit will be . . . 

(mt) (mt) 

(i) January through June ..................................................................................... 200 

300 

15 

3 

(ii) July through September ................................................................................. 250 

325 

15 

3 

(iii) October through December ........................................................................... 300 

423 

15 

3 

(4) Annual catch and trip limits for 

2023. For the calendar year 2023, all 

commercial fishing vessels of the United 

States combined may capture, retain, 

transship, or land no more than 720 

metric tons. A 30-metric ton trip limit 

will be in effect until any of the 

following criteria are met: 


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If the time of year is . . . And NMFS anticipates the 

cumulative catch will be . . . Then the trip limit will be . . . 

(mt) (mt) 

(i) January through June ..................................................................................... 400 

500 

20 

3 

(ii) July through September ................................................................................. 430 

520 

20 

3 

(iii) October through December ........................................................................... 470 

620 

20 

3 

(5) Annual catch and trip limits for 

2024. 

(i) If the 2024 catch limit is between 

525 and 720 metric tons, a 30-metric ton 

trip limit will be in effect until any of 

the following criteria are met: 

If the time of year is . . . And NMFS anticipates the 

cumulative catch is within . . . Then the trip limit will be . . . 

(mt of the annual catch limit) (mt) 

(A) January through June .................................................................................... 320 

220 

150 

20 

10 

3 

(B) July through September ................................................................................ 300 

200 

140 

20 

10 

3 

(C) October through December ........................................................................... 250 

100 

20 

3 

(ii) If the 2024 catch limit is between 

400 and 524 metric tons, a 20-metric ton 

trip limit will be in effect until any of 

the following criteria are met: 

If the time of year is . . . And NMFS anticipates the 

cumulative catch is within . . . Then the trip limit will be . . . 

(mt of the annual catch limit) (mt) 

(A) January through June .................................................................................... 300 

200 

15 

3 

(B) July through September ................................................................................ 250 

150 

15 

3 

(C) October through December ........................................................................... 200 

100 

15 

3 

(iii) If the 2024 catch limit is between 

297 and 399 metric tons, a 15-metric ton 

trip limit will be in effect until any of 

the following criteria are met: 

If the time of year is . . . And NMFS anticipates the 

cumulative catch is within . . . Then the trip limit will be . . . 

(mt of the annual catch limit) (mt) 

(A) January through June .................................................................................... 220 3 

(B) July through September ................................................................................ 200 3 

(C) October through December ........................................................................... 100 3 

(iv) If the 2024 catch limit is 296 

metric tons or less, the trip limit will be 

5 metric tons for the entire calendar 

year. 

(6) Closure of the fishery. After NMFS 

determines that the annual catch limits 

under paragraphs (g)(3), (g)(4) and (g)(5) 

of this section are expected to be 

reached, NMFS will close the fishery 

effective upon the date provided in the 

actual notice, in accordance with 

paragraph (g)(7) of this section. Upon 

the effective date in the actual notice, 

targeting, retaining on board, 

transshipping or landing Pacific bluefin 

tuna in the Convention Area shall be 

prohibited through the end of the 

calendar year, with the exception that 

any Pacific bluefin tuna already on 

board a fishing vessel on the effective 

date of the notice may be retained on 

board, transshipped, and/or landed 

within 14 days after the effective date 

published in the fishing closure notice, 

to the extent authorized by applicable 

laws and regulations. 

(7) Announcement and effective dates 

of in-season actions. In-season actions 

taken under paragraphs (g)(2) through 

(6) of this section will be by actual 

notice from posting on the National 

Marine Fisheries West Coast Region 

website (https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/ 

sustainable-fisheries/pacific-bluefintuna-commercial-harvest-status) and a 


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United States Coast Guard Notice to 

Mariners. The Notice to Mariners will 

be broadcast three times daily for four 

days. This action will also be published 

in the Federal Register as soon as 

practicable. In-season actions will be 

effective from the time specified in the 

actual notice of the action (i.e., website 

posting and United States Coast Guard 

Notice to Mariners), or at the time the 

in-season action published in the 

Federal Register is effective, whichever 

comes first. 

(8) Reversal of in-season actions. If an 

in-season action taken under paragraphs 

(g)(2) through (6) of this section is based 

on overestimate of actual catch, NMFS 

will reverse that action in the timeliest 

possible manner, provided NMFS finds 

that reversing that action is consistent 

with the management objectives for the 

affected species. The fishery will be 

subject to the change in trip limit or 

reopened effective on the date provided 

in the actual notice in accordance with 

paragraph (g)(7) of this section. 

(9) State of California fish landing 

receipts. If landing Pacific bluefin tuna 

into the State of California, fish landing 

receipts must be submitted within 24 

hours to the California Department of 

Fish and Wildlife in accordance with 

the requirements of applicable State 

regulations. 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2022–04434 Filed 3–3–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No. 220228–0063; RTID 0648– 

XX078] 

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; 

Fisheries of the Northeastern United 

States; Northeast Multispecies 

Fishery; 2022 Allocation of Northeast 

Multispecies Annual Catch 

Entitlements 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We propose to approve 

allocations of annual catch entitlements 

to groundfish sectors for the 2022 

fishing year and approve changes to 

previously approved sector operations 

plans. This rule also proposes to 

disapprove four novel sector exemption 

requests. The action is necessary 

because sectors must receive allocations 

in order to operate in fishing year 2022. 

This action is intended to allow limited 

access permit holders to continue to 

operate or form sectors, as authorized 

under the Northeast Multispecies 

Fishery Management Plan, and to 

exempt sectors from certain effort 

control regulations to improve the 

efficiency and economics of sector 

vessels. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before March 21, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on this document, identified by NOAA– 

NMFS–2022–0026, by either of the 

following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA– 

NMFS–2022–0026 in the Search box. 

Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, complete 

the required fields, and enter or attach 

your comments. 

Instructions: Comments sent by any 

other method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the end of 

the comment period, may not be 

considered by NMFS. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted for public 

viewing on www.regulations.gov 

without change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address, etc.), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the sender will 

be publicly accessible. NMFS will 

accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/ 

A’’ in the required fields if you wish to 

remain anonymous). 

Copies of each sector’s operations 

plan and contract, as well as the 

programmatic environmental 

assessment for sectors operations in 

fishing years 2015 to 2020 and other 

supporting documents are available 

from the NMFS Greater Atlantic 

Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO): 

Contact Kyle Molton at Kyle.Molton@

noaa.gov. These documents are also 

accessible via the Federal eRulemaking 

Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 

To review Federal Register 

documents referenced in this rule, you 

can visit: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/managementplan/northeast-multispeciesmanagement-plan. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kyle 

Molton, Fishery Management Specialist, 

(978) 281–9236. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Northeast Multispecies Fishery 

Management Plan (FMP) defines a 

sector as ‘‘a group of persons holding 

limited access Northeast multispecies 

permits who have voluntarily entered 

into a contract and agree to certain 

fishing restrictions for a specified period 

of time, and which has been granted a 

TAC(s) [sic] in order to achieve 

objectives consistent with applicable 

FMP goals and objectives.’’ A sector 

must be comprised of at least three 

Northeast multispecies permits issued 

to at least three different persons, none 

of whom have any common ownership 

interest in the permits, vessels, or 

businesses associated with the permits 

issued [to] the other two or more 

persons in that sector. Sectors are selfselecting, meaning participation is 

voluntary, and each sector can choose 

its members. 

The Northeast multispecies sector 

management system annually allocates a 

portion of the Northeast multispecies 

stocks to each sector. These annual 

sector allocations are known as annual 

catch entitlements (ACE) and are based 

on the collective fishing history of a 

sector’s members. Sectors may receive 

allocations of large-mesh Northeast 

multispecies stocks with the exception 

of Atlantic halibut, windowpane 

flounder, Atlantic wolffish, and ocean 

pout, which are non-allocated species 

managed under separate effort controls. 

ACEs are portions of a stock’s annual 

catch limit (ACL) available to 

commercial Northeast multispecies 

vessels. A sector determines how to 

harvest its ACE. 

Because sectors elect to receive an 

allocation under a quota-based system, 

the FMP grants sector vessels several 

universal exemptions from the FMP’s 

effort controls. These universal 

exemptions apply to: Trip limits on 

allocated stocks; portions of the Gulf of 

Maine (GOM) Cod Protection Closures; 

Northeast multispecies days-at-sea 

(DAS) restrictions; the requirement to 

use a 6.5-inch (16.5-cm) mesh codend 

when fishing with selective gear on 

Georges Bank (GB); and the requirement 

to use a 6.5-inch (16.5-cm) mesh codend 

when fishing under the provisions of 

the Redfish Exemption Program. The 

FMP allows the Council to add 

universal exemptions using the 

framework adjustment procedure. 

Sectors may request additional 

exemptions annually as part of their 

sector operations plans to increase 

flexibility and fishing opportunities. 

Sectors are prohibited from requesting 

exemptions from permitting restrictions, 

gear restrictions designed to minimize 


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