Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Framework Adjustment 16 to the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan

Resumo

NMFS approves and implements Framework Adjustment 16 to the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. Framework Adjustment 16 was developed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to establish a volumetric vessel hold capacity baseline for limited access Illex squid vessels, allow NMFS to collect information on vessel processing type from limited access Illex and Tier 1 longfin squid vessels, and clarify existing Illex squid reporting requirements. This action is necessary to restrict future increases in capacity in the Illex squid fishery and gain more accurate catch information to inform stock assessments.