Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions; American Lobster Fishery

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NMFS proposes new Federal American lobster (Homarus americanus) regulations that would implement a mandatory Federal lobster dealer electronic reporting requirement, changes to the maximum carapace length regulations for several lobster conservation management areas (LCMAs/Areas), and a modification of the v-notch definition in certain LCMAs. This action responds to the recommendations for Federal action in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (Commission) Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster (ISFMP). Implementation of a mandatory Federal lobster dealer reporting requirement would be consistent with the recommendations for Federal action by the Commission in Addendum X to Amendment 3 of the ISFMP and would assist in providing a more comprehensive and consistent coastwide accounting of lobster harvest data to facilitate stock assessment and fishery management. Additionally, this action intends to implement new and revise existing Federal lobster regulations to support the Commission's ISFMP by adopting v-notching and maximum carapace length measures (together referred to as broodstock protection measures) in several management areas that are, for the