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The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) recommended limiting the ability for participants in the West Coast groundfish trawl catch share program (Program) to use non-trawl gear types to prosecute the trawl fishery (termed gear switching). The Council recommends that NMFS issue gear-specific quota pounds for northern sablefish in years where the northern sablefish annual catch limit is below 6,000 metric tons. Sablefish is a vital target and co-occurring species in the Program. This action is proposed because the use of quota for northern sablefish by participants engaging in gear switching may lead to uncertainty in access to sablefish and other species, such as Dover sole, by vessels using trawl gear. This uncertainty may inhibit the development of markets and infrastructure necessary to achieve optimum yield in the fishery, and the Program’s economic and community stability goals. The purpose of this action would be to help stabilize the trawl fishery by limiting gear switching for northern sablefish in years of relatively low abundance, while maximizing gear flexibility and harvest opportunity in years of greater abundance. An Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, published on April 26, 2018 (0648-BH34), announced that the Council may or may not provide credit for any gear switching related activities, after a control date of after September 15, 2017, in any decision setting limits on gear switching. In its recommended action, the Council incorporated considerations of historical participation and quota ownership. Its recommendation included a control date to allow higher levels of gear switching, for qualifying participants, in years when gear switching would be limited.