Limited Access Management of Federal Fisheries In and Off of Alaska

Résumé

NMFS issues this proposed rule to implement Amendment 30 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands area (BSAI) and Amendment 34 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), and to make regulatory amendments affecting the Pacific halibut and sablefish fisheries in and off of the State of Alaska (Alaska or State). This action is necessary to raise the sablefish community development quota (CDQ) allocation limit for qualified applicants from 12 percent to 33 percent, and to clarify the evidence that may be used to verify vessel leases for the Pacific halibut and sablefish individual fishing quota (IFQ) program. It is intended to allow total allocation of the sablefish CDQ reserve and to provide IFQ program applicants with information about the evidence required for vessel lease verification.