Annual Catch Limit and Accountability Measures for Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 Bottomfish (RIN 0648-BI54)

"The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposes to implement an annual catch limit (ACL) and accountability measures (AMs) for Deep 7 bottomfish in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) for fishing years 2018–19, 2019–20 and 2020–21. Each fishing year begins September 1 and ends on August 31 the following year. NMFS monitors Deep 7 bottomfish catches based on data provided by commercial fishermen to the State of Hawaii. If the fishery is projected to reach the annual limit, as an AM, NMFS, would close the commercial and non-commercial fisheries for MHI Deep 7 bottomfish in Federal waters for the remainder of the fishing year. In addition, if NMFS determines that the Deep 7 bottomfish catch exceeded the ACL in a fishing year, NMFS would reduce the Deep 7 bottomfish ACL for the following fishing year by the amount of the overage. NMFS would conduct a subsequent rulemaking action to implement the overage adjustment.

The proposed ACLs of 492,000 lb of Deep 7 bottomfish are based on a 2018 benchmark stock assessment, which shows that the Deep 7 bottomfish stock is healthy. NMFS is preparing an environmental assessment (EA) to evaluate potential effects of the specification. We do not expect the specification to result in changes to the fishery because the fishery has landed an annual average of 274,100 lb Deep 7 bottomfish in the past 5 years and has not been constrained by past ACLs. Therefore, we do not expect large or adverse environmental effects for the annual specifications.
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