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Regulation Summaries - Annual Catch Limits
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Sustainable Fisheries Division
Proposed Rules for Public Comment
- March 26, 2013. Proposed rule. This proposed rule would extend the region-wide moratorium on the harvest of gold corals in the U.S. Pacific Islands through June 30, 2018. NMFS intends this proposed rule to prevent overfishing and to stimulate research on gold corals.
Comments must be received by April 25, 2013. View the Federal Register notice and other supporting documentation here.
To find, view, and comment on
rulemaking and supporting documents,
visit: Regulations.gov.
Search the Federal Register
Browse the the Code of
Federal Regulations for fisheries
in the western Pacific.
Recent Final Rules and Notices
- April 19, 2013. Notice; Availability of permits; American Samoa Pelagic Longline Limited Entry Program. NMFS announces the availability of, and is soliciting applications for, American Samoa pelagic longline limited entry fishing permits. At least 12 permits in two size classes are available for 2013. NMFS must receive completed permit applications by August 19, 2013. View the notice here.
- March 13, 2013. Final catch limit specifications. In this rule, NMFS specifies annual catch limits for western Pacific bottomfish, crustacean, precious coral, and coral reef ecosystem fisheries, and accountability measures to correct or mitigate any overages of catch limits. The catch limits and accountability measures support the long-term sustainability of fishery resources of the U.S. Pacific Islands. The limits are effective April 12, 2013. View the Federal Register notice here.
- February 8, 2013. 2013 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Lobster Harvest Guideline. NMFS establishes the annual harvest guideline for the commercial lobster fishery in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) for calendar year 2013 at zero lobsters. View the Federal Register notice here.
- October 2012. Final Rule. Revised leatherback and North Pacific loggerhead sea turtle interaction limits in the Hawaii shallow-set (swordfish) longline fishery. The new limits are effective November 5, 2012. View the Federal Register notice and supporting documentation here.
- September 2012. Notice of agency decision. Approval of a marine conservation plan for American Samoa. View the Federal Register notice and plan here.
- September 2012. Final specifications. NMFS specifies a quota of 325,000 lb of Deep 7 bottomfish in the main Hawaiian Islands for the 2012–13 fishing year. View the Federal Register notice here.
- July 2012. Final Rule. Revised swordfish trip limits in the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery. The new limits are effective August 27, 2012. View the Federal Register notice and supporting documentation here.
- June 2012. Final rule. American Samoa large vessel prohibited area. Modified boundaries effective July 11, 2012. View the Federal Register notice, including the new boundaries, and supporting documents here.
- November 2011. Fisheries in the Eastern Pacific Ocean; Pelagic Fisheries; Vessel Identification Requirements. View the Federal Register notice here.
- November 2011. Final rule; Pacific Tuna Fisheries; Fishing Restrictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. View the Federal Register notice and supporting documents here.
* Also see the compliance guide here. - August 2011. Final Rule; American Samoa longline gear modifications to reduce turtle interactions. View the Federal Register notice and Amendment 5 here.
- August 2011. Approval of a marine conservation plan for the Northern Mariana Islands. View the Federal Register Notice and Marine Conservation Plan here.
- July 2011. Approval of a marine conservation plan for Guam. View the Federal Register notice and conservation plan here.
- June 2011. Approval of a marine conservation plan for the Pacific remote island areas. View the Federal Register notice and conservation plan here.
- June 2011. Final rule; Mechanism for specifying annual catch limits and accountability measures. View the Federal Register notice and supporting documents here.
- June 2011. Final rule; Prohibiting pelagic longline fishing within 30 nm of the Northern Mariana Islands. View the Federal Register notice and supporting documents here.
- May 2011. Notice; Overfishing of Pacific bluefin tuna. View the Federal Register notice here.
- January 2010. Final rule; Implementation of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention. View the Federal Register notice and supporting documents here.
