Pacific Island Fisheries; Amendment 7 to the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the American Samoa Archipelago; Discontinue Rebuilding Plan for American Samoa Bottomfish and Implement Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures for Fishing Years 2024-2026

Zusammenfassung

NMFS proposes to amend the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the American Samoa Archipelago (FEP) to discontinue the rebuilding plan for American Samoa bottomfish and to implement single-species annual catch limits (ACL) and accountability measures (AM) for bottomfish in the American Samoa archipelago for fishing years 2024, 2025 and 2026. The action is necessary because new best scientific information indicates the fishery is not overfished or experiencing overfishing, and new ACLs and AMs are warranted. This proposed rule considers the best available scientific, commercial, and other information about the fishery, and would support the long-term sustainability of the fishery.