July 19, 2013 — NOAA Fisheries, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce, has partially approved Amendment 5 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. Amendment 5 was developed to improve the Atlantic herring fishery catch monitoring program and address bycatch issues in the fishery.
A notice of availability soliciting public comments on Amendment 5 was published on April 22, 2013, with a comment period ending June 21, 2013. A total of 115 comments were received and considered in making the decision to partially approve Amendment 5. The proposed rule to implement Amendment 5 was published on June 3, 2013, with a comment period ending July 18, 2013. A summary of the comments received, and NOAA Fisheries’ responses to those comments, will be published in the final rule implementing Amendment 5.
Read the full announcement from NOAA Fisheries