Federal Register #NOAANMFS20240050

NOAA/NMFS Proposed Regulatory Changes to Atlantic HMS Fishing Gear Requirements

NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing regulatory changes affecting fishing gear used in Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) fisheries. - Government Buyer: - Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), HMS Management Division - Products/Services and Gear Types: - Buoy Gear - Modifications include authorization of power-assisted (electric or hydraulic) retrieval equipment - Expanded use under additional permit categories with specific buoy limits - Retention of BAYS tunas and certain sharks now permitted - Speargun Fishing Gear - Expanded authorization for commercial BAYS tuna fishing under specified permits - Must be discharged by a person physically in the water - Bait Collection Gear - Small nets and dipnets now allowed for bait collection on HMS vessels, provided they are not capable of capturing HMS - Unique/Notable Requirements: - New reporting, record-keeping, and compliance obligations for permit holders - Expanded permit categories for buoy gear use - Introduction of power-assisted retrieval equipment for buoy gear, with estimated costs for electric and hydraulic rigs - Affects a wide range of commercial and for-hire permit holders - No specific OEMs, vendors, part numbers, or purchase quantities are listed, as this is a regulatory proposal rather than a direct procurement.

Description

NMFS is proposing regulatory revisions to fishing gear requirements in fisheries targeting Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) to increase flexibility and remove inefficiencies, thus increasing fishing opportunities and the ability of HMS fisheries to achieve optimum yield. The proposed changes include modifications to buoy gear regulations such as gear deployment and retrieval requirements, authorization under additional permits, and allowing retention of additional species. Changes to speargun fishing gear regulations are also proposed, including authorization under additional permits and targeting additional species. Additionally, overarching changes regarding gear used for bait collection in all HMS fisheries are proposed.

View original listing