🎣Notice of SEDAR 102 Workshop on Atlantic Menhaden Management
The review of the SEDAR 102 Assessment of Atlantic Menhaden and Ecological Reference Points will be conducted via an in-person review workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Learn More🎣Caribbean Fishery Management Council Public Virtual Meeting Overview
The Caribbean Fishery Management Council's (Council) Ad Hoc Committee will hold a public virtual meeting to discuss the items contained in the agenda in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Learn More🎣Exempted Fishing Permit for South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper Fishery
NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). If granted, the EFP would authorize limited recreational harvest of red snapper outside of any Federal recreational season in South Atlantic Federal waters and exempt that harvest from the red snapper recreational bag and possession limits, recreational annual catch limits (ACLs), general reporting requirements for charter vessels and headboats, and accountability measures (AMs). FWC's project is intended to test alternative recreational management strategies that could be used by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) to reduce the number of discards of red snapper and other federally managed snapper-grouper species, create additional opportunities to participate in sustainable recreational harvest, and improve angler satisfaction.
Learn More🎣Closure of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Harpoon Fishery for 2025
NMFS closes the Harpoon category fishery for large medium and giant (i.e., measuring 73 inches (185 cm) curved fork length (CFL) or greater) Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) for the remainder of the 2025 fishing year. This closure applies to Atlantic Tunas Harpoon category permitted vessels.
Learn More🎣New Regulation on Pacific Halibut Charter Fishing Stamps
This final rule authorizes fee collection for the Recreational Quota Entity (RQE) Program. A charter halibut stamp (stamp) is required under this final rule for every charter vessel angler, 18 years of age or older, for each charter vessel fishing trip in a given calendar day, or each calendar day during a charter vessel fishing trip that spans multiple days, who intends to catch and retain halibut on a charter vessel in International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) regulatory areas 2C in Southeast Alaska and 3A in South Central Alaska. Persons who hold charter halibut permits (CHPs) must purchase electronic stamps from NMFS. Charter vessel guides are required to validate a stamp for each adult charter vessel angler intending to catch and retain halibut on a charter vessel fishing trip. This final rule is necessary to promote stability and economic viability in the charter halibut fishery and is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act), and other applicable laws.
Learn More🐟Gulf Fishery Management Council to Host Virtual Webinars on Fisheries
The Gulf Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) will hold 4 virtual webinars of the Reef Fish, Coastal Migratory Pelagics, Red Drum, Shrimp, Spiny Lobster and Ad Hoc Individual Fishing Quota Advisory Panels to advise on Executive Order 14276 "Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness" and Executive Order 14192 "Unleashing Prosperity through Deregulation"; and, one Public Engagement webinar.
Learn More📜Proposed Removal of Non-Binding Interpretive Rules for Labor Regulations
The Department of Labor (Department) proposes to remove parts located in Title 29, Chapter V, Subchapter B of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) that were not originally issued, or subsequently amended, through notice-and-comment rulemaking. Because these parts consist of interpretive rules and policy statements regarding the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) which do not carry the force and effect of law, the Department believes that these parts, to the extent that they have not benefitted from public comment, should be repurposed as sub- regulatory guidance. The Department seeks comment on what provisions in Subchapter B should be retained in the CFR, as well as what kind of sub-regulatory guidance the Department should use to preserve interpretive rules and policy statements that are removed from the CFR. This summary can be found at https://www.regulations.gov by searching by the RIN: 1235-AA52.
Learn More🦑Notice on Exempted Fishing Permits for Oceanic Squid Fisheries
The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF). Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed EFPs.
Learn More🎣Fisheries Regulation
NMFS apportions amounts of the non-specified reserve to the initial total allowable catch (ITAC) of Bering Sea (BS) Greenland turbot, BS "other rockfish," BS Pacific ocean perch, and Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) "other flatfish." This action is necessary to allow the fisheries to continue operating. It is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan for the BSAI management area.
Learn More🎣Upcoming Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting Details
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC's) Bluefish Monitoring Committee (MC) will hold a public meeting jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Bluefish Technical Committee.
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