Opinion ID: 808185
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Fishery management plans

Text: The MSA establishes eight Fishery Management Councils composed of fishing representatives and government and tribal officials. 16 U.S.C. § 1852. The Councils are charged with preparing fishery management plans for fisheries that require “conservation and management.” Id. § 1852(h)(1). Plans must contain measures to “prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks,” id. § 1853(a)(1)(A), and “assess and specify,” among other things, the “optimum yield” from each fishery, id. § 1853(a)(3); see also 50 C.F.R. § 600.10 (defining “optimum yield”). To the extent measures are necessary to reduce overall harvest to prevent overfishing, a fishery management plan must allocate any harvest restrictions fairly and equitably among the commercial and recreational sectors that participate in the fishery. 16 U.S.C. § 1853(a)(13), (14). Plans may include restrictions on fish catch or gear types, establish a limited access system in order to achieve optimum yield, or include any other measures “determined to be necessary and appropriate for the conservation and management of the fishery.” Id. § 1853(b)(3), (4), (6), (14). Plans must comply with ten national standards. Id. §§ 1851(a), 1853(a)(1)(C), 1854(a)(1)(A). As relevant here, National Standard 2 requires that “[c]onservation and management measures shall be based upon the best scientific information available.” Id. § 1851(a)(2); see also 50 C.F.R. § 600.315(b)(1). National Standard 8 requires that [c]onservation and management measures shall, consistent with the conservation requirements of this 10754 PACIFIC COAST FEDERATION v. BLANK chapter (including the prevention of overfishing and rebuilding of overfished stocks), take into account the importance of fishery resources to fishing communities by utilizing economic and social data that meet the requirements of [National Standard 2], in order to (A) provide for the sustained participation of such communities, and (B) to the extent practicable, minimize adverse economic impacts on such com- munities. 16 U.S.C. § 1851(a)(8); see also 50 C.F.R. § 600.345(b)(2).2 The Fishery Management Councils submit fishery management plans for review by the public and review and approval by NMFS, acting on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce. 16 U.S.C. § 1854(a). The Councils and NMFS follow the same process for regulations to implement a given plan. Id. §§ 1853(c), 1854(b).