0648-BM94 202504 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions 0648 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA 0600 Department of Commerce DOC Amendment 2 to the Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas/St. John Fishery Management Plans: Trawl, Net Gear, and Descending Devices

Amendment 2 to the Comprehensive FMP for the Puerto Rico Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Comprehensive FMP for the St. Croix EEZ, and the Comprehensive FMP for the St. Thomas and St. John EEZ (Amendment 2) and the proposed rule would prohibit the use of trawl nets, purse seines, and trammel nets for all fishing in federal waters around Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas/St. John, prohibit the use of gillnets for all fishing except for the use of surface gillnets that meet specified requirements for the harvest of non-federally managed fish species in federal waters around Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas/St. John, and require that descending devices are available and ready for use when fishing for reef fish species managed by the Caribbean Fishery Management Council in federal waters around the U.S. Caribbean. The need for this action is to minimize the potentially adverse effects of fishing habitats and associated species and to minimize the mortality of bycatch species. The Caribbean Council approved Amendment 2 to the Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas/St. John Fishery Management Plans: Trawl, Net Gear, and Descending Devices in December 2023.

]]> Substantive, Nonsignificant Previously Published in The Unified Agenda Final Rule Stage No No Not subject to, not significant 50 CFR 622 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. No NPRM 09/30/2024 89 FR 79492 NPRM Comment Period End 10/30/2024 Final Action 07/00/2025 No Businesses None No No No No Andrew Strelcheck J. Regional Administrator, Southeast Region 0648 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA 727 824-5305 andy.strelcheck@noaa.gov 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg FL 33701