The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is reallocating 2,850 metric tons (mt) of Pacific cod from vessels using trawl gear, 1,315 mt of Pacific cod from catcher vessels using pot gear, and 80 mt of Pacific cod from vessels using jig gear to American Fisheries Act (AFA) catcher processor vessels, catcher processor vessels using pot gear, and catcher processor vessels using hook-and-line gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area according to Robert D. Mecum, Acting Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS.
The following table summarizes the reallocation in metric tons:
PACIFIC COD CURRENT SHARE THIS ACTION REVISED SHARE
Hook and Line Gear Catcher Processor 73,844 + 2230 76,074
Pot Gear
Catcher Processor 2,274 + 815 3,089
Catcher Vessel 12,737 – 1,315 11,422
Jig Gear Catcher Processor 260 – 80 180
Trawl Gear
AFA Catcher Processor 3,506 + 1,200 4,706
Catcher Vessel 33,692 – 2,850 30,842
This action is necessary to allow the 2008 total allowable catch of Pacific cod to be harvested and is issued pursuant to 50 CFR 679.20(a)(7)(iii). This action does not imply any change in the status of the fisheries.
This information bulletin only provides notice of a regulatory change. For the purposes of complying with the regulatory change, you are advised to see the actual text of the regulation in the Code of Federal Regulations.
