Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Reauthorized

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Annual Catch Limits

The Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act of 2006 established new requirements to end and prevent overfishing through the use of annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs). Federal fishery management plans must establish mechanisms for ACLs and AMs by 2010 for stocks subject to overfishing and by 2011 for all others. The Act also specified additional requirements for the role of scientific advice in this process, specifically through the Councils' Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSCs).

News

NMFS announced on August 27, 2008, in the Federal Register (73 FR 50585) that it is withdrawing a proposed rule for revisions to National Standard 1 guidelines, which was published on June 22, 2005 (70 FR 36240). Instead of going forward with a final rule directly resulting from the 2005 proposed rule, NMFS published a new proposed rule for the NS1 guidelines in the Federal Register on June 9, 2008, to address new provisions enacted in 2007 in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act.

NMFS announced on August, 13, 2008, in the Federal Register (73 FR 47125) extension of  the public comment period on proposed revisions to the National Standard 1 (NS1) guidelines until September 22, 2008.

Rules and Notices

On June 9, 2008, NMFS published in the Federal Register (73 FR 32526) proposed revisions to the National Standard 1 Guidelines to include guidance for these and other new requirements related to preventing overfishing and rebuilding overfished stocks. This guidance would assist regional fishery management councils and NMFS in developing ACLs and AMs to end and prevent overfishing in all U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries, consistent with National Standard 1. NMFS provides guidelines to facilitate consistent application of the 10 national standards in the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Public comments on the proposed revisions will be accepted through September 22, 2008.

Press Release

Related Documents

Regulatory Impact Review and Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis for Revisions to National
Standard 1 Guidelines to Address Annual Catch Limit and Other Measures to End Overfishing and
Rebuild Overfished Stocks

Comments Received, February – April 2007

Between February 14, 2007 and April 17, 2007, NMFS solicited public comments on the scope and issues to consider in developing such guidance. A report of the comments received was released in July 2007.

• Federal Register Notice (2/14/07)
• Scoping Documents
• Presentation (English) (Spanish)
• Handout (English) (Spanish)
• Report of Public Comments Received, July 2007
• Summary of Comments
• Appendix A Federal Register Notice of Intent (72 FR 7016; 02/14/07)
• Appendix B Federal Register Notice (72 FR 8971; 02/28/07) announcing additional scoping meetings and extension of comment period
• Appendix C Federal Register Notice (72 FR 12770; 03/19/07) announcing additional scoping meetings
• Appendix D NOAA Press Releases announcing the start of the scoping period and individual scoping meetings
• Appendix E Print of the power point slides that constituted the scoping presentation at all the scoping meetings (English and Spanish versions)
• Appendix F Handout provided at scoping meetings (English and Spanish versions)
• Appendix G1 All letters and e-mails from the general public
• Appendix G2 All letters and e-mails from commercial fishers and processors
• Appendix G3 All letters and e-mails from recreational fishers and recreational charter fishers
• Appendix G4 All letters and e-mails from Regional Fishery Management Councils
• Appendix G5 All letters and e-mails from the environmental community
• Appendix G6 All letters and e-mails from government agencies and representatives