Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS is proposing regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, as amended, to implement Resolutions C-23-07 (Conservation Measures for the Protection and Sustainable Management of Sharks) and C-23-11 (On the Establishment of a Vessel Monitoring System) adopted by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) at its meeting in August 2023 in Victoria, Canada. This proposed rule would implement provisions of these Resolutions and would require U.S. longline vessels fishing for tuna or tuna-like species in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) that have incidental shark catch to release sharks by leaving them in the water and cutting the branchline so that less than 1 meter remains on each animal. The proposed rule would also require large vessels fishing for tuna or tuna-like species in the EPO to make manual reports every six hours in the event of a malfunctioning vessel monitoring system (VMS) unit. This action is necessary for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC.
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. 240417-0110] RIN 0648-BM67 AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments. SUMMARY: NMFS is proposing regulations under the Tuna Conventions ( printed page 31709) Act of 1950, as amended, to implement Resolutions C-23-07 (Conservation Measures for the Protection and Sustainable Management of Sharks) and C-23-11 (On the Establishment of a Vessel Monitoring System) adopted by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) at its meeting in August 2023 in Victoria, Canada. This proposed rule would implement provisions of these Resolutions and would require U.S. longline vessels fishing for tuna or tuna-like species in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) that have incidental shark catch to release sharks by leaving them in the water and cutting the branchline so that less than 1 meter remains on each animal. The proposed rule would also require large vessels fishing for tuna or tuna-like species in the EPO to make manual reports every six hours in the event of a malfunctioning vessel monitoring system (VMS) unit. This action is necessary for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC. DATES: Comments on the proposed rule and supporting documents must be submitted in writing by May 28, 2024. ADDRESSES: A plain language summary of this proposed r…
Citation: 89 FR 31708
