Americans Samoa Bottomfish Rebuilding Plan (0648-BK79)

NMFS proposes to implement Amendment 5 to the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the American Samoa Archipelago (FEP). The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) recommended Amendment 5 in response to the determination that that the American Samoa bottomfish stock complex is overfished and experiencing overfishing. Amendment 5 would establish a rebuilding plan that consists of an annual catch limit (ACL) and two accountability measures (AM) and remain in place until we determine that the stock complex is rebuilt, which is expected to take ten years. We would set the ACL at 5,000 lb starting in 2022. As an in-season AM, when NMFS projects that the fishery will reach the ACL in any fishing year, then we would close the fishery in Federal waters for the remainder of that year. As an additional AM, if subsequent analyses indicate that the fishery exceeded the ACL during a fishing year, we would close the fishery in Federal waters until NMFS and the Territory of American Samoa implement a coordinated management approach to ensure that catch in both Federal and territorial waters is maintained at levels that allow the stock to rebuild.