Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Issuance of an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP)

Resumo

The Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Northeast Region, NMFS, has issued a revised EFP in support of a drop chain small mesh net study conducted by the University of Rhode Island (URI). The study aims to reduce summer flounder discard mortality in the Loligo small-mesh fishery. The revised EFP includes an exemption for participating vessels from the Trimester III Loligo mesh size restrictions. This exemption is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMP.