News + Announcements
FR notice – Notice of Intent To Conduct Scoping and To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Designation of a National Marine Sanctuary Within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (comments due by Jan. 31, 2022)
AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a draft environmental impact statement and hold public scoping meetings; request for...
Request for Comments – Amendment 6 to the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the Mariana Archipelago; Rebuilding Plan for Guam Bottomfish (Comments due Jan. 14, 2021)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability of fishery ecosystem plan amendment; request for comments. SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Western Pacific Fishery...
FR Notice – Recovery Plan for Main Hawaiian Islands Insular False Killer Whale Distinct Population Segment (Nov. 3, 2021)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the adoption of a Final Endangered Species...
Press Release – Online Portal for the 2020 Annual Fishery Evaluation Reports Now Available (2 November 2021)
HONOLULU (2 November 2021) The 2020 annual Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports have been released on the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s online portal: wpcouncildata.org. These reports on nearshore and pelagic fisheries in the...
FR Notice – Electronic Logbooks for Hawaii and American Samoa Pelagic Longline Fisheries; Correction (Nov. 1, 2021
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Final rule; correcting amendment. SUMMARY: This document corrects an inadvertent drafting error in final regulations published in the Federal...
Request for Comments – Annual Catch Limit and Accountability Measures; Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 Bottomfish for Fishing Years 2021– 2024 (due by Nov. 16, 2021)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments. SUMMARY: NMFS proposes to implement an annual catch limit (ACL) of 492,000 lb (223,167 kg) for Deep 7...
Request for Comments – 2022 U.S. Territorial Longline Bigeye Tuna Catch Limits (comments due by Nov. 12, 2021)
AGENCY:National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION:Proposed specifications; request for comments. SUMMARY:NMFS proposes a 2022 limit of 2,000 metric tons (t) of longline-caught bigeye tuna for each...
Request for Comments – Draft 2021 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports (Comments due by Jan. 24, 2022)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; request for comments and new information. SUMMARY: NMFS reviewed the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regional marine mammal stock...
Press Release – US Pacific Fishery Managers Recommend Quota for American Samoa Bottomfish (19 October 2021)
HONOLULU (19 October 2021) Today, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) implement a 5,000-pound annual catch limit (ACL) for the American Samoa bottomfish stock complex. According to a 2019...
Press Release – Federal Fishery Managers to Choose Alternative for American Samoa Bottomfish Rebuilding Plan (14 October 2021)
HONOLULU (14 October 2021) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will meet virtually Oct. 19, 2021, and take final action on the American Samoa Bottomfish Rebuilding Plan. The agenda, background documents and instructions for connecting to the...