Final Environmental Assessment, Regulatory Impact Review, and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for Amendment 6 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan: Commercial Shark Management Measures
Final Environmental Assessment, Regulatory Impact Review, and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for Amendment 6 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan: Commercial Shark Management Measures

Author: LeAnn Hogan

Publisher:

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13:

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In September 2010, NMFS published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) to request public comment on potential adjustments to the regulations governing the Atlantic shark fisheries to address specific issues such as commercial landings that exceed quotas, declining numbers of fishing permits since limited access was implemented, complex regulations, derby fishing conditions due to small quotas and short seasons, increasing numbers of regulatory discards, and declining market prices and to identify specific goals for management of these fisheries in the future. Based on the comments received on the ANPR, in September 2011, NMFS published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an FMP Amendment that would consider catch shares for the Atlantic shark fisheries. Based on comments received on the ANPR and NOI, in April 2014, NMFS released a Predraft for Amendment 6 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) that included management options for changes to regional quota and permit structures. On May, 27 2014, NMFS published another NOI announcing its intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment instead of an Environmental Impact Statement and that the agency was moving away from the catch share concept for this particular Amendment. On January 20, 2015, NMFS released the Draft EA and published a proposed rule (80 FR 2648) for Amendment 6 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP, and the public comment period was open until April 3, 2015. This Final EA analyzes the potential environmental impacts related to (1) permit stacking (2) adjusting the large coastal sharks (LCS) trip limit for shark directed limited access permit holders; (3) establishing a management boundary in the Atlantic region, (4) creating sub-regional quotas in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regions for LCS and small coastal sharks (SCS); (5) modifying the LCS and SCS quota linkages; (6) implementing total allowable catches and adjusting the non-blacknose SCS commercial quotas in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regions based on the 2013 Atlantic sharpnose and bonnethead sharks stock assessments; and (7) modifying upgrading restrictions for shark permit holders.

Final Amendment 5a to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan, Including a Final Environmental Impact Statement, a Final Regulatory Impact Review, a Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, a Final Social Impact Analysis
Final Amendment 5a to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan, Including a Final Environmental Impact Statement, a Final Regulatory Impact Review, a Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, a Final Social Impact Analysis

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 407

ISBN-13:

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The National Marine Fisheries Service is amending the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan based on several shark stock assessments that were completed from 2009 to 2012. The assessments for Atlantic blacknose, dusky, and scalloped hammerhead sharks indicated that these species are overfished and experiencing overfishing. The assessment for sandbar sharks indicated that this species is overfished, but not experiencing overfishing. The assessment for Gulf of Mexico blacktip sharks indicated that the stock is not overfished and not experiencing overfishing. NMFS did not accept the assessment for Gulf of Mexico blacknose sharks; therefore, the overfished and overfishing statuses have been determined to be unknown. After considering comments received during scoping and on a Predraft document, the Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Amendment 5 and the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2012 (77 FR 73029), and November 26, 2012 (77 FR 70552), respectively. The DEIS and proposed rule considered measures to reduce fishing mortality and effort in order to rebuild overfished Atlantic shark species while ensuring that a limited shark fishery can be maintained, consistent with all legal obligations. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) describes a range of alternatives that could impact shark fishermen and dealers, including new commercial quota limits consistent with stock assessment recommendations to prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks and modification of recreational measures to limit the retention of overfished stocks. The DEIS also considered measures for dusky sharks to end overfishing and rebuild the stock based on a recent stock assessment, but after considering public comment, NMFS has decided that these measures require further analyses, which NMFS will conduct in an upcoming separate proposed action.

Environmental Assessment, Final Regulatory Impact Review, and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for a Final Rule to Establish Quotas for the 2011 Commercial Fishing Season and Adaptive Management Measures for the Atlantic Shark Fishery
Environmental Assessment, Final Regulatory Impact Review, and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for a Final Rule to Establish Quotas for the 2011 Commercial Fishing Season and Adaptive Management Measures for the Atlantic Shark Fishery

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 109

ISBN-13:

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"The 2011 Atlantic commercial shark season specifications adjusts quotas for the 2011 fishing season for the Atlantic shark fisheries based on any over- and/or underharvests during the 2009 and 2010 Atlantic commercial shark fishing seasons and announces the start of the fishing season for all Atlantic shark fisheries, including the shark research fishery. This rulemaking does not affect the annual base quotas or the methods for calculating adjusted quotas established in Amendments 2 and 3 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (73 FR 35778, June 24, 2008; corrected at 73 FR 40658, July 15, 2008; 75 FR 30484, June 1, 2010). In addition to establishing the 2011 quotas, in this final action, NMFS is also implementing criteria to add flexibility to shark management to allow for delays to the start of the different shark species/complex fishing seasons each year through the annual specifications process as well as to allow inseason actions to make adjustments to the shark trip limits, as necessary, to extend the fishing season. The included Environmental Assessment (EA) tiers from and incorporates by reference the pre-existing Amendment 2 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species HMS FMP (Amendment 2) and Amendment 3 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species HMS FMP (Amendment 3), as well as the scope and effect of activities analyzed in the April 2008 FEIS for Amendment 2 and the March 2010 FEIS for Amendment 3. These measures are meant to provide, to the extent practicable, the furtherance of equitable fishing opportunities for commercial shark fishermen in all regions and areas while also considering the ecological needs of the different species. In addition, having management flexibility would help accommodate any necessary adjustments to the fishery, such as adjusting the opening of seasons, in light of unanticipated events, such as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico or inclement weather"--Abstract.

Final Environmental Assessment, Final Regulatory Impact Review, and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for a Final Rule to Modify the Retention of Incidentally-caught Highly Migratory Species in Atlantic Trawl Fisheries
Final Environmental Assessment, Final Regulatory Impact Review, and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for a Final Rule to Modify the Retention of Incidentally-caught Highly Migratory Species in Atlantic Trawl Fisheries

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 95

ISBN-13:

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"This final action will modify the permitting and retention requirements for Atlantic HMS to address the incidental catch of North Atlantic swordfish in the Illex squid trawl fishery, and the incidental catch of species in the smoothhound shark complex (genus Mustelus) in all Atlantic trawl fisheries. The action will reduce regulatory dead discards of incidentally caught swordfish in the Illex squid trawl fishery by establishing a new Incidental HMS Squid Trawl permit. It will also establish a retention limit for smoothhound sharks in all Atlantic trawl fisheries. This action will be consistent with the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan. The action is not expected to significantly alter current fishing practices or increase fishing effort, and is not be expected to change previously analyzed endangered species or marine mammal interaction rates or magnitudes, or affect critical habitat"--Cover letter; Portfolio comprised of two related PDF documents digitized and organized by: NOAA Office of Program Planning and Integration (PPI) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) staff.

Environmental Assessment, Regulatory Impact Review, and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for a Rule to Adjust the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General and Harpoon Category Regulations
Environmental Assessment, Regulatory Impact Review, and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for a Rule to Adjust the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General and Harpoon Category Regulations

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 94

ISBN-13:

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"In this action, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) would adjust regulations governing the U.S. BFT fishery to : (1) Increase the General category maximum BFT daily retention limit from three to five fish (with limit adjustments to be executed via inseason actions when and if appropriate): (2) Allow the BFT General category season to remain open until the January subquota is reached or March 31 (whichever happens first): and (3) Increase the Harpoon category daily retention limit of BFT measuring 73 to 81 inches from two to four fish. This action is intended to enable more thorough utilization of the available U.S. BFT quota for the General and Harpoon permit categories: minimize bycatch and bycatch mortality to the extent practicable: expand fishing opportunities for participants in the commercial winter General category fishery: and increase NMFS' flexibility for selling the General category retention limit depending on available quota. This action would be consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act, and the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan. This action is not expected to significantly alter current fishing practices and bycatch mortality rates, or increase fishing effort, and it is not expected to change previously analyzed endangered species or marine mammal interaction rates or magnitudes."--Cover letter; Portfolio comprised of two related PDF documents digitized and organized by: NOAA Office of Program Planning and Integration (PPI) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) staff.