WASHINGTON – NOAA Fisheries Service today proposed new measures for the Atlantic sea scallop fishery.
Amendment 15 was developed primarily to implement annual catch limits and accountability measures to bring the scallop fishery management plan (FMP) into compliance with requirements of the 2007 Magnuson Act.
Additional proposed measures include: A revision of the overfishing definition; modification of the essential fish habitat closed areas under the Scallop FMP; adjustments to measures for the Limited Access General Category fishery; adjustments to the scallop research set-aside program; and additions to the list of measures that can be modified through framework adjustments.
The rule will publish in the Federal Register on Monday, April 11th and comments are due by May 26, 2011.