Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery; Framework Adjustment 22

Résumé

NMFS is implementing measures specified in Framework Adjustment 22 (Framework 22) to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which was developed and adopted by the New England Fishery Management Council (Council). The specifications in Framework 22 are based on, and are being implemented in conjunction with, the management measures in Amendment 15 to the FMP (Amendment 15) that establish the process for setting annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) to bring the FMP into compliance with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). The purpose of Framework 22 is to set the following scallop management measures for the 2011 through 2013 fishing years (FYs): The overfishing limit (OFL), acceptable biological catches (ABC), ACLs, and annual catch targets (ACTs) for both the limited access (LA) and limited access general category (LAGC) fleets; open area days-at-sea (DAS) and Sea Scallop Access Area (access area) trip allocations; DAS adjustments if an access area yellowtail flounder (YTF) total allowable catch (TAC) is caught; LAGC-specific allocations, including access area trip allocations for vessels wi