NPFMC Amendments Would Expand Electronic Monitoring Program

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has submitted Amendment 126 to the Fishery Management Plans for groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area and Amendment 114 to the Fishery Management Plan for groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska.

If approved, the amendments would expand electronic monitoring (EM) to pelagic trawl pollock catcher vessels and tenders delivering to shoreside processors or stationary floating processors in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska.

Both amendments 126 and Amendment 114 are intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the BSAI FMP and the GOA FMP.

The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on Monday, Jan. 22 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The 60-day comment period ends March 22.

Comments may be submitted electronically via the federal e-Rulemaking portal by going to https://www.regualtions.gov and typing NOAA-NMFS-2023-0125 in the Search box. Then click on the “Comment” icon, complete required fields and enter or attach comments.

Comments may also be mailed to Gretchen Harrington, the assistant regional administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division Alaska Region, NMFS, at P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.

All comments received are a part of the public record and are generally be posted for public viewing on https://www.regulations.gov without change.

Source: https://fishermensnews.com/npfmc-amendments-would-expand-electronic-monitoring-program/