Request for Comments: MSA National Standard 4, 8, and 9 Guidelines (due September 12, 2023)

NOAA Fisheries is requesting public comment on the need for potential revisions to the Guidelines for National Standards 4, 8, and 9 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The following is an excerpt from the advance notice of proposed rulemaking.

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR); request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS is publishing this ANPR to alert the public of potential future adjustments the agency may make to the implementing guidelines for National Standards 4, 8, or 9, of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Several ongoing fishing management challenges, including changes in environmental conditions, shifting distributions of fish stocks, and equity and environmental justice considerations that affect fishing communities that are currently or have been historically dependent on the resource, suggest a need to revisit the guidelines to ensure they remain appropriate for current U.S. fisheries management. The intent of this notice is to provide the public with background on some of the specific issues under consideration, seek specific input, and provide a general opportunity for comment. NMFS will take public comment into consideration when it decides whether or not to propose changes to the guidelines for National Standards 4, 8, or 9.

DATES: Comments must be received by 5 p.m., local time, on September 12, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by “NOAA–HQ–2023–0060”, by any one of the following methods:

  • Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. To submit comments via the e-Rulemaking Portal, first click the “submit a comment” icon, then enter “NOAA–HQ–2023–0060” in the keyword search. Locate the document you wish to comment on from the resulting list and click on the “Submit a Comment” icon on the right of that line.

  • Mail: Wendy Morrison; National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA; 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13436; Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Instructions: Comments must be submitted by one of the above methods to ensure that the comments are received, documented, and considered by NMFS. Comments sent by any other method, to another address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered. All comments received are 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).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Wendy Morrison, Fisheries Policy Analyst, National Marine Fisheries Service, 301–427–8564.

Read the Federal Register Notice for additional background and information about the issues under consideration.

Public Comment Opportunity: Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Amendment

NOAA Fisheries is seeking comments on Amendment 23 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, also known as the Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Amendment. The agency is considering disapproving the portion of the amendment that would add the commercial state black sea bass allocations to the Federal FMP. Comments are due July 3, 2023.

Gulf Council to Host the Council Coordination Committee in Key West, Florida May 23-25, 2023

Leadership teams for the nation’s eight regional fishery management councils will gather in Key West, Florida for the spring 2023 Council Coordination Committee (CCC) meeting.  The meeting will convene May 23-25, 2023, at the Marriott Beachside Hotel located at 3841 North Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, Florida 33040.  The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is happy to serve as this year’s CCC host.

The CCC is comprised of the chairs, vice chairs, and executive directors of the New England, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, Western Pacific, and North Pacific Fishery Management Councils.  CCC chairmanship rotates annually among the eight Councils.  The CCC meets twice each year to discuss issues relevant to all fishery management councils in partnership with NOAA Fisheries and NOAA General Counsel.

The CCC will hear updates from NOAA Fisheries on agency priorities in the coming year including fisheries science updates.  The Committee will also discuss the America the Beautiful Initiative and ongoing efforts to address climate change in fisheries.  The meeting agenda and meeting materials will be posted as they become available on the fisherycouncils.org website.

In-person and virtual public testimony will be taken at the end of the day on May 23rd and 24th before the meeting adjourns.  In-person attendees must register to provide public comment each day on at the kiosk located near the entrance to the meeting room.  Virtual attendees must register 30-minutes prior to the start of public comment using the registration links provided on the meeting materials webpage.

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on a Proposed Rule to Implement 2023 Recreational Management Measures for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass

Comments Due April 14, 2023

NOAA Fisheries is seeking comments on proposed 2023 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass recreational fishery management measures.

Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass

We propose the conservation equivalency approach for the summer flounder and black sea bass recreational fisheries. Under conservation equivalency, states or regions develop minimum sizes, possession limits, and fishing seasons that will achieve the necessary level of conservation. Both the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recommended conservation equivalency, for both species, in 2023.

The proposed rule contains additional details on conservation equivalency, including what measures would be put in place if the states or regions do not implement conservationally equivalent measures.

Scup

We are proposing a 10-inch minimum size limit, 40-fish possession limit, and May 1- December 31 open season for recreational scup measures in federal waters, with the states to further modify state measures through the Commission process.

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register today. The comment period is open through April 14. Submit your comments through the e-rulemaking portal. 

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Emily Keiley, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9116

Media: Contact Allison Ferreira, Regional Office, 978-281-9103

ACCSP, NOAA Fisheries Release Plan to Improve Atlantic Recreational Fisheries Data

The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) and NOAA Fisheries have jointly released the Marine Recreational Information Program Regional Implementation Plan for the Atlantic Coast. It highlights data needs and funding priorities over the next 5 years for improving recreational fisheries data collection on the Atlantic Coast.

“Our regional and state partners are essential to developing, executing and improving our national network of recreational fishing surveys that inform catch estimates,” said Evan Howell, NOAA Fisheries, director of the Office of Science and Technology. “We rely on partners like ACCSP to efficiently facilitate regional partnerships and joint data collection activities, as well as identify regional priorities through tools like our regional implementation plans. I want to thank all of our partners for their hard work to develop this plan together, and we look forward to our continued partnership as the plan is implemented.” 

ACCSP is the state-federal partnership that collects, manages, and disseminates Atlantic commercial and recreational fisheries data and serves as the MRIP Regional  Implementation Team for the Atlantic Coast. It also coordinates state conduct of the MRIP Access Point Angler Intercept Survey and For-Hire Survey from Maine to Georgia. Program partners include coastal resource agencies from 15 states and the District of Columbia, 2 interstate marine fisheries commissions, 3 regional fishery management councils, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and NOAA Fisheries. To provide better data for stock assessment and management, the ACCSP Coordinating Council and Recreational Technical Committee (RecTech) identified top priorities for improving recreational data collection on the Atlantic Coast through 2027. 

Atlantic Coast Prioritized Activities

  • Improved precision and presentation of MRIP estimates

  • Comprehensive for-hire data collection and monitoring

  • Improved recreational fishery discard and release data

  • Improved timeliness of MRIP recreational catch and harvest estimates

  • Expanded biological sampling of recreational fisheries 

  • Improved in-season monitoring

“Through the ACCSP, state, regional and federal partners are able to cooperatively identify and prioritize recreational fishery data needs for the entire Atlantic Coast and coordinate efforts to address these needs and improve recreational data collection,” said Angela Giuliano, ACCSP RecTech chair. RecTech is composed of ACCSP partner personnel who specialize in survey design, statistical estimation of fishing effort, catch, and participation, and the operation of recreational sampling programs.

The Atlantic Regional Implementation Plan will help guide NOAA Fisheries’ allocation of resources to best address the data needs of regional fishery stock assessors and managers. 

“Working together, we have allocated targeted increases in sample size by month and mode to improve precision of MRIP estimates,” said Dawn Franco, RecTech vice-chair. “We are also working on methodology to improve for-hire data collection. Over the next 5 years, we can achieve even more by building on our momentum and nurturing the relationships that have been forged.”

National Perspective

NOAA Fisheries maintains a central role in developing data collection and estimation methods, administering recreational fishing surveys, implementing survey and data standards, and producing recreational fisheries statistics. Regional and state partners identify regional data collection priorities, coordinate survey operations and on-site data collection, and participate in quality assurance and quality control procedures.

Through Regional Implementation Plans, each region plays a critical role in identifying  which survey methods are most suitable for its science, stock assessment, and management needs. NOAA Fisheries uses these plans to develop a national inventory of partner needs and associated costs, and to annually specify priority-setting criteria for supporting those needs. These plans inform MRIP decision-making for ongoing research priorities and budget allocation. The Regional Implementation Plans are adjusted at least every 5 years or as necessary based on changing science, management needs, and budget availability.

This collaborative approach is critical to addressing region-specific needs for improving recreational fishing data and supporting fishing opportunities for generations to come.