News + Announcements
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...
FR Notice – Modifications to the American Samoa Longline Fishery Limited Entry Program (Oct. 07, 2021)
AGENCY:National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION:Final rule. SUMMARY:This final rule implements Amendment 9 to the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific (FEP). It...
Request for Comment: Western and Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species; Fish Aggregating Device Design Requirements in Purse Seine Fisheries, IMO Number Requirements, and Bycatch Restrictions (comments due by Nov. 8, 2021)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments. SUMMARY: NMFS seeks comments on this proposed rule issued under authority of the Western and Central...