Recent Regulatory Actions--Fisheries 2005  2004  2003  & Earlier

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	Aquaculture Bycatch Partnerships and Communications Recreational Fisheries Trade and Commercial Services Grants International Interests LAPP Clearinghouse Permits Magnuson-Stevens 2007 Regulations Seafood & Health Strandings Legislation Sustainable Fisheries Leadership Awards
What is Bycatch? National Bycatch Strategy Recent Regulatory Actions Fisheries Recent Regulatory Actions Protected Resources International Activities Research and Monitoring Reports and Articles Regional Bycatch Summaries Related Laws Meetings

Final Rule Amending Regulations Establishing Pollock Maximum Retainable Amounts (MRAs)
This rule adjusts the MRA enforcement period for pollock harvested in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area from enforcement at anytime during a fishing trip to enforcement at the time of offload.  This action is necessary to reduce regulatory discards of pollock caught incidentally in the directed fisheries for non-pollock groundfish species.  The intended effect of this action is to better use incidentally caught pollock in accordance with the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/frules/fr32901.pdf

Final Rule to Implement Amendment 13 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan
Amendment 13 was developed by the New England Fishery Management Council, primarily to end overfishing on all groundfish stocks and to rebuild all groundfish stocks that are overfished. It contains a variety of measures applicable to commercial and recreational fishing that address impacts of the fishery on Essential Fish Habitat, minimize bycatch, implement improved reporting and recordkeeping requirements, and address other conservation and management issues.
http://www.nero.noaa.gov/amend13/

Final Rule for Amendment 13A to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic (.PDF)
This rule extends regulations that prohibit fishing for and retention of snapper-grouper species within the Oculina Experimental Closed Area for an indefinite period. The measures in the final rule will continue to protect snapper-grouper populations; delicate, slow-growing Oculina coral; and associated habitat.
http://www.nmfs.naoa.gov/by_catch/13AOculina.pdf

Final Rule to Implement Amendment 10 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico
This final rule requires, with limited exceptions, the use of NMFS-certified bycatch reduction devices in shrimp trawls in the Gulf of Mexico exclusive economic zone east of Cape San Blas, Florida. For more information, download the PDF document here.