Western and Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species; 2016 Bigeye Tuna Longline Fishery Closure

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 300 [Docket No. 160205084-6510-02] RIN 0648-XE719 AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; fishery closure. SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the U.S. pelagic longline fishery for bigeye tuna in the western and central Pacific Ocean because the fishery has reached the 2016 catch limit. This action is necessary to ensure compliance with NMFS regulations that implement decisions of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). DATES: Effective 12:01 a.m. local time July 22, 2016, through December 31, 2016. ADDRESSES: NMFS prepared a plain language guide and frequently asked questions that explain how to comply with this rule; both are available at https://www.regulations.gov/​docket?​D=​NOAA-NMFS-2016-0091 . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ariel Jacobs, NMFS Pacific Islands Region, 808-725-5182. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pelagic longline fishing in the western and central Pacific Ocean is managed, in part, under the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (Act). Regulations governing fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance with the Act appear at 50 CFR part 300, subpart O . NMFS established a calendar year 2016 limit of 3,554 metric tons (mt) of bigeye tuna ( Thunnus obesus ) that may be caught and retained in the U.S. pelagic longline fishery in …