NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on the proposed rule implementing Regulatory Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic (Regulatory Amendment 1). The proposed rule for Regulatory Amendment 1 published in the Federal Register on June 30, 2016 (81 FR 42625). The comment period ends on August 1, 2016.
Regulatory Amendment 1 would establish a commercial trip limit for dolphin of 4,000 pounds whole weight after 75 percent of the commercial sector annual catch limit has been reached. The trip limit applies to dolphin caught commercially from Maine through the east coast of Florida. The trip limit would remain in place until the end of the fishing year or until the entire commercial annual catch limit is met, whichever comes first. The purpose of the trip limit is to reduce the chance of an in-season closure of the dolphin commercial sector as a result of the annual catch limit being reached during the fishing year and to reduce the severity of social and economic impacts caused by these closures.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has submitted Regulatory Amendment 1 to NOAA Fisheries for review and implementation. All comments specifically directed toward the proposed rule will be addressed in the final rule.
For more information on Regulatory Amendment 1, please visit the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office Website at:
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/s_atl/dw/2016/reg_am1/index.html.
An electronic version of the amendment and proposed rule is available at that Web site or from the e-rulemaking portal, www.regulations.gov.
How to Submit Comments
You may submit comments by either of the following methods. Comments received through other means may not be considered.
Electronic Submissions: Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NOAA-NMFS-2016-0033, click the "Comment Now!" icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
Mail: Karla Gore, NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505.
All comments will be part of the public record, and generally posted for public viewing to http://www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying information (for example, name, address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter, may be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. Anonymous comments will be accepted.
Source: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council