NOAA FISHERIES TO REVISE OVERFISHING GUIDELINES

Public Invited to Comment

NOAA Fisheries has announced the opening of a scoping period to analyze alternatives for implementing annual catch limits, accountability measures and other overfishing provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (MSRA). The new guidance to be developed by the agency would also address provisions relating to Scientific and Statistical Committees and peer review processes. In a February 14, 2007, Federal Register notice, NOAA Fisheries has provided its preliminary interpretation of these new provisions and invited interested members of the public to comment.

MSRA requires fishery management plans to establish a mechanism for setting annual catch limits at a level that prevents overfishing. Accountability measures in the fishery management plan could take the form of inseason management techniques that prevent the catch limit from being exceeded in a given year (e.g., closures, or restrictions on retention of a stock), and/or corrective actions that will be implemented in subsequent fishing years to address overharvests (e.g., reduction of a subsequent year’s catch limit).

The annual catch limit and accountability requirements take effect in fishing year 2010 for all stocks that are subject to overfishing. Other stocks, including those with unknown or undefined status regarding overfishing, will need annual catch limits and accountability measures by the 2011 fishing year. The law allows limited exceptions for stocks that have 1 year life cycles or are covered under an international agreement.

After considering all public comments received during scoping, NOAA Fisheries will either develop a draft environmental impact statement and proposed rule, or an environmental assessment and proposed rule. Following these additional opportunities for public input, NOAA Fisheries intends to publish a final rule in the Federal Register by the end of 2007. The new guidance relating to these new legal requirements will then be incorporated as part of National Standard 1 guidelines. Other changes to the National Standard 1 guidelines that were proposed in 2005 are not being considered for further action at this time, due to the urgency of meeting deadlines established in MSRA.

A public meeting to discuss these issues and alternatives will take place on March 9, 2007, from 9AM to 3PM. This meeting will be held at 1315 East-West Highway; Room 4527, in Silver Spring, MD. Additional scoping meetings will be scheduled in the near future.

Written comments may be sent to:

All public comments during the scoping phase must be received by April 2, 2007.

For more information, contact Mark.Millikin@noaa.gov, call (301) 713-2341, or visit www.nmfs.noaa.gov/msa2007.

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