The Law Library presents the complete text of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species - Individual Bluefin Quota Program - Accountability for Bluefin Tuna Catch (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Regulation) (NOAA) (2018 Edition). Updated as of May 29, 2018 NMFS modifies the Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) regulations to require vessels in the pelagic longline fishery to account for bycatch of bluefin tuna (bluefin) using Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) on a quarterly basis instead of on a trip-level basis. Previously, vessel owners had to account for quota debt or IBQ balances less than the minimum required before commencing any fishing trip with pelagic longline gear. With this rulemaking, vessels may fish during a given calendar quarter if they have an IBQ balance below the minimum amount required to depart on a fishing trip or with quota debt incurred by exceeding their IBQ balance; however, vessels are required to reconcile quota debt and satisfy the minimum IBQ requirement prior to departing on their first pelagic longline fishing trip in each calendar quarter. The action optimizes fishing opportunity in the directed pelagic longline fishery for target species such as tuna and swordfish and improves the functionality of the IBQ Program and its accounting provisions, consistent with the objectives of Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This ebook contains: - The complete text of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species - Individual Bluefin Quota Program - Accountability for Bluefin Tuna Catch (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Regulation) (NOAA) (2018 Edition) - A dynamic table of content linking to each section - A table of contents in introduction presenting a general overview of the structure

The Law Library presents the complete text of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species - Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Quota Specifications and Effort Controls (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Regulation) (NOAA) (2018 Edition). Updated as of May 29, 2018 NMFS announces the final initial 2006 fishing year specifications for the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) fishery to set BFT quotas for each of the established domestic fishing categories and to set General and Angling category effort controls. This action is necessary to implement recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), as required by the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA), and to achieve domestic management objectives under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). This ebook contains: - The complete text of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species - Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Quota Specifications and Effort Controls (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Regulation) (NOAA) (2018 Edition) - A dynamic table of content linking to each section - A table of contents in introduction presenting a general overview of the structure

The Law Library presents the complete text of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species - Atlantic Tuna Fisheries - Pelagic and Bottom Longline Fisheries - Gear Authorization and Turtle Control Devices (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Regulation) (NOAA) (2018 Edition). Updated as of May 29, 2018 NMFS authorizes green-stick gear for the harvest of Atlantic tunas, including bluefin tuna (BFT), and requires a sea turtle control device in Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) pelagic longline (PLL) and bottom longline (BLL) fisheries. At this time, NMFS is not authorizing harpoon gear for the harvest of Atlantic tunas in the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat (CHB) category as originally proposed. The purpose of this final rule is to ensure fishermen harvest Atlantic tunas within quotas, size limits, or other established limitations and to distinguish green-stick fishing gear from current definitions of other authorized gear types. This final rule also addresses use of sea turtle control devices in the PLL and BLL fisheries to achieve and maintain low post-release mortality of sea turtles thus maintaining consistency with the 2004 Biological Opinion (BiOp) for the Atlantic PLL fishery and to increase safety at sea for fishermen when handling sea turtles caught or entangled in longline fishing gear. NMFS also has revised its list of equipment models that NMFS has approved as meeting the minimum design specifications for the careful release of sea turtles caught in hook and line fisheries. This ebook contains: - The complete text of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species - Atlantic Tuna Fisheries - Pelagic and Bottom Longline Fisheries - Gear Authorization and Turtle Control Devices (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Regulation) (NOAA) (2018 Edition) - A dynamic table of content linking to each section - A table of contents in introduction presenting a general overview of the structure

"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.

"The National Marine Fisheries Service is establishing the total U.S. BFT quota and subquotas for 2010 based on the 2008 International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) recommendation for the western BFT stock for 2010 (part of a two-year recommendation) and adjusting the 2010 quotas for each category as necessary based on landings from 2009. [The] purpose of this action is to implement the 2008 ICCAT recommendation as necessary and appropriate pursuant to the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act and to achieve domestic management objectives under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. These measures would be consistent with the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan, including the BFT rebuilding program. This action is not expected to significantly alter current fishing practices or increase fishing effort, would not be expected to change previously analyzed endangered species or marine mammal interaction rates or magnitudes, or affect critical habitat"--Cover letter.

The Law Library presents the complete text of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species - Vessel Monitoring Systems (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Regulation) (NOAA) (2018 Edition). Updated as of May 29, 2018 The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is finalizing requirements for fishermen to replace currently required Mobile Transmitting Unit (MTU) Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) units with Enhanced Mobile Transmitting Unit (E-MTU) VMS in Atlantic HMS fisheries. The key difference between MTU and E-MTU VMS units is that the E-MTU VMS units are capable of two-way communication. The purpose of this final action is to facilitate enhanced communication with HMS vessels at sea, provide HMS fishery participants with an additional means of sending and receiving information at sea, ensure that HMS VMS units are consistent with the current VMS technology and type approval requirements that apply to newly installed units, and to provide NMFS enforcement with additional information describing gear onboard and target species. This rule affects all HMS pelagic longline (PLL), bottom longline (BLL), and shark gillnet fishermen who are currently required to have VMS onboard their vessels. This ebook contains: - The complete text of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species - Vessel Monitoring Systems (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Regulation) (NOAA) (2018 Edition) - A dynamic table of content linking to each section - A table of contents in introduction presenting a general overview of the structure