Environmental Assesssment to Consider Vessel Tracking Requirements Based Upon Management Measures Specified in the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Lobster

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the body responsible for the interstate management of the American lobster fishery, recently approved Addendum XXIX to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster, which requires electronic tracking of vessels participating in the fishery, with state implementation beginning in 2023. In lay terms, this is similar to global positioning system (GPS) capabilities on a cellular/mobile telephone. These data are critical to improving stock assessments, informing discussions and management decisions related to protected species and marine spatial planning, and enhancing offshore enforcement. The Commission recommended that NOAA Fisheries implement complementary Federal regulations under the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act, this would consider revising to regulations under 50 CFR 697.