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This action, on an emergency basis, implements only a set of small Accountability Measure (AM) areas for southern windowpane flounder, rather than the large AM Areas that the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan would otherwise require.  The AM areas require all trawl vessels fishing in certain areas in southern New England to use selective trawl gear that limit flatfish catch. AMs are management controls designed to prevent Annual Catch Limits (ACL) from being exceeded, and to correct or mitigate overages of the ACL if they do occur.  National Marine Fisheries Service has determined that an ACL overage occurred in Fishing Year 2024 and was sufficient to trigger the implementation of the large AM areas for windowpane flounder. However, the large AM area imposes a substantial financial hardship on both Northeast multispecies (groundfish) and non-groundfish vessels, particularly because the AM areas eliminate access to target species that vessels are unlikely to recoup even if they move to fish in other areas.  In addition, the New England Fishery Management Council is in the process of reconsidering the structure of the windowpane flounder AMs.  Given these two factors, through this action, we are implementing only the small AM Areas for windowpane flounder.