[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 157 (Wednesday, August 14, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 40296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17465]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

RIN 0648-XG660


Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species 
Fisheries; Amendment 17 to the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery 
Management Plan

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

ACTION: Notice of agency decision.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the approval of Amendment 17 to the Coastal 
Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan. On June 10, 2019, the Regional 
Administrator of the West Coast Region, NMFS, with the concurrence of 
the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, approved Amendment 17 to the 
Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan. The intent of 
Amendment 17 is to allow the Pacific Fishery Management Council 
flexibility in recommending restrictions on the live bait portion of 
the fishery when a stock is overfished.

DATES: The amendment was approved on June 10, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management 
Plan as amended through Amendment 17, are available at the Pacific 
Fishery Management Council, 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101, 
Portland, OR 97220-1384, or at this URL: https://www.pcouncil.org/coastal-pelagic-species/fishery-management-plan-and-amendments/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Massey, Sustainable Fisheries 
Division, NMFS West Coast Region, at 562-436-2462; or Kerry Griffin, 
Pacific Fishery Management Council, at 503-820-2280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Amendment 17 removed the pre-specified 
incidental landing limit for overfished stocks for vessels fishing for 
live bait. Prior to Amendment 17, if a Coastal Pelagic Species stock 
were to become overfished, and even prior to adoption of a rebuilding 
plan, the Fishery Management Plan automatically limited retention in 
the live bait fishery of that stock to only incidentally caught fish 
with no more than 15 percent of any load being from the overfished 
stock.
    NMFS published a Notice Availability for Amendment 17 on March 22, 
2019 (84 FR 10768), and solicited public comments through May 21, 2019. 
NMFS received three public comments from industry representatives in 
support of Amendment 17. The industry representatives included the 
American Albacore Fishing Associations, the Sportfishing Association of 
California, and a private fisherman from southern California.
    There are no implementing regulations associated with Amendment 17; 
therefore, NMFS did not promulgate a proposed and final rule to 
implement this amendment.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: August 9, 2019.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-17465 Filed 8-13-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P