0648-BB02 201604 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions 0648 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA 0600 Department of Commerce DOC Implement the 2010 Shark Conservation Act Provisions and Other Regulations in the Atlantic Smoothhound Shark Fishery

This rule implemented Amendment 9 to the Atlantic shark and smoothhound shark fisheries and the measures in Amendment 3 and the 2011 Highly Migratory Species trawl rule in the Atlantic smoothhound shark fishery. The rule fully implemented smoothhound shark quota measures as well as the Savings Clause of the Shark Conservation Act. The Shark Conservation Act included a provision that allows, under specific conditions, smooth dogfish sharks to be landed without fins attached (versus the Shark Conservation Act as a whole that requires sharks to be landed with fins naturally attached). The final rule balanced this statutory provision that provides operating flexibility for smooth dogfish fisherman with the need to ensure effective shark conservation and management. The rule also made changes to the shark gillnet vessel monitoring system requirement to aid the industry by limiting the scope of vessel monitoring systems.

]]> Substantive, Nonsignificant Previously Published in The Unified Agenda Completed Actions No No 50 CFR 635 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. No NPRM 08/07/2014 79 FR 46217 NPRM Comment Period End 11/14/2014 Final Action 11/24/2015 80 FR 73128 Final Rule 12/18/2015 80 FR 78969 Final Action Effective 03/15/2016 Yes Businesses None No No Yes No Alan Risenhoover Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries 0648 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA 301 713-2334 301 713-0596 alan.risenhoover@noaa.gov NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13362, Silver Spring MD 20910