Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This rule implements salmon bycatch minimization measures to minimize incidental take of Endangered Species Act-listed salmon by vessels in the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery. The rule establishes additional management tools to minimize incidental Chinook and coho salmon bycatch to keep fishery sectors within guidelines, establishes rules to allow industry to access the Chinook salmon bycatch reserve, and creates Chinook salmon bycatch closure thresholds for the trawl fishery. This rule fulfills the terms and conditions of a 2017 National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Opinion. This rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, and other applicable laws, including the Endangered Species Act.
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 660 [Docket No. 210205-0012] RIN 0648-BJ50 AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This rule implements salmon bycatch minimization measures to minimize incidental take of Endangered Species Act-listed salmon by vessels in the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery. The rule establishes additional management tools to minimize incidental Chinook and coho salmon bycatch to keep fishery sectors within guidelines, establishes rules to allow industry to access the Chinook salmon bycatch reserve, and creates Chinook salmon bycatch closure thresholds for the trawl fishery. This rule fulfills the terms and conditions of a 2017 National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Opinion. This rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, and other applicable laws, including the Endangered Species Act. DATES: This final rule is effective March 25, 2021. ADDRESSES: This rule is accessible via the Office of the Federal Register website at https://www.federalregister.gov/​ . Background information and documents, including a Biological Opinion and a Regulatory Impact Review (RIR)/Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) (Analysis), which addresses the statutory require…
Citation: 86 FR 10857
