AGENCY:
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION:
Announcement of a valid specified fishing agreement.

SUMMARY:
NMFS announces a valid specified fishing agreement that allocates up to 1,500 metric tons (t) of the 2021 bigeye tuna limit for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to U.S. longline fishing vessels. The agreement supports the long-term sustainability of fishery resources of the U.S. Pacific Islands, and fisheries development in the CNMI.

DATES:
The specified fishing agreement was valid as of July 15, 2021. The start date for attributing 2021 bigeye tuna catch to the CNMI is August 30, 2021.

ADDRESSES:
The Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific (FEP) describes specified fishing agreements and is available from the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council), 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813, tel. 808-522-8220, fax 808-522-8226, or http://www.wpcouncil.org.

NMFS prepared environmental analyses that describe the potential impacts on the human environment that would result from the action. The analyses, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2020-0010, are available from https://www.regulations.gov/​search/​docket?​filter=​NOAA-NMFS-2020-0010, or from Michael D. Tosatto, Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands Region (PIR), 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lynn Rassel, NMFS PIRO Sustainable Fisheries, 808-725-5184.

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