Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS proposes a framework to determine catch limits for all U.S. fisheries and retention limits by U.S. longline fisheries under a Hawaii longline limited entry permit for Western and Central North Pacific Ocean (WCNPO) striped marlin (Kajikia audax), consistent with Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Conservation and Management Measure (CMM) 2024-06. If the retention limit is reached, NMFS proposes to prohibit longline retention of WCNPO striped marlin by longline fishing vessels until the end of the year to prevent the U.S. catch limit from being exceeded. Because the U.S. limit under the framework can change each year, NMFS proposes to specify the updated catch and longline retention limits by notice in the Federal Register early each calendar year. For fishing year 2026, NMFS proposes to specify a U.S. WCNPO striped marlin limit of 393.4 metric tons (mt) (867,300 pounds (lb)) and a U.S. longline retention limit of 381.6 mt (841,300 lb) using the framework.
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 665 [Docket No. 260428-0117] RIN 0648-BN81 AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments. SUMMARY: NMFS proposes a framework to determine catch limits for all U.S. fisheries and retention limits by U.S. longline fisheries under a Hawaii longline limited entry permit for Western and Central North Pacific Ocean (WCNPO) striped marlin ( Kajikia audax ), consistent with Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Conservation and Management Measure (CMM) 2024-06. If the retention limit is reached, NMFS proposes to prohibit longline retention of WCNPO striped marlin by longline fishing vessels until the end of the year to prevent the U.S. catch limit from being exceeded. Because the U.S. limit under the framework can change each year, NMFS proposes to specify the updated catch and longline retention limits by notice in the Federal Register early each calendar year. For fishing year 2026, NMFS proposes to specify a U.S. WCNPO striped marlin limit of 393.4 metric tons (mt) (867,300 pounds (lb)) and a U.S. longline retention limit of 381.6 mt (841,300 lb) using the framework. DATES: NMFS must receive comments by June 1, 2026. ADDRESSES: A plain language summary of this proposed rule is available at: https://www.regulations.gov/​docket/​NOAA-NMFS-2025-0045 . You may …
Citation: 91 FR 23387
