0648-BE45 201410 The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions 0648 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA 0600 Department of Commerce DOC Emergency Action to Increase Fishing Year 2014 Gulf of Maine Haddock Annual Catch Limits

An emergency action is being initiated to increase the fishing year 2014 Gulf of Maine haddock catch limits in the Northeast Multispecies Fishery and to make modifications to the 2014 Gulf of Maine haddock recreational management measures. Revision to the Gulf of Maine haddock catch limits for fishing year 2014 is warranted based upon a new stock assessment report for Gulf of Maine haddock that will be completed in August 2014. This action is intended to help mitigate economic challenges currently facing the groundfish industry due to the extremely small quotas in place for several groundfish stocks. This action would increase the likelihood of fishermen achieving optimum yield with this and other groundfish stocks since Gulf of Maine haddock is caught with other groundfish stocks and the current quota is small enough that it could reduce the ability for vessels to harvest other stocks.

]]> Substantive, Nonsignificant First Time Published in The Unified Agenda Final Rule Stage No No 50 CFR 648 16 USC 1801 et seq No Final Action 12/00/2014 No None No No No No John Bullard K. Regional Administrator, Greater Atlantic Region 0648 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA 978 281-9287 john.bullard@noaa.gov 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester MA 01930