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The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) proposes to amend the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the Mariana Archipelago. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, Amendment 6 would implement a rebuilding plan for Guam bottomfish, which NMFS determined to be overfished but not experiencing overfishing in February 2020. The Council recommended this proposed action pursuant to section 304(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which requires the Council to prepare and NMFS to implement a rebuilding plan within two years of determination of an overfished condition. The Council developed the rebuilding plan in coordination with NMFS, the Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources, and other interested and affected parties. The rebuilding plan would establish an annual catch limit to rebuild the stock over a period of eight years. If NMFS expects the fishery to reach the limit, we would close the fishery in Federal waters for the remainder of the year. If the fishery exceeds the limit once, we would close Federal waters until overall catch in Federal and territorial waters can be maintained at the levels needed to rebuild. In the absence of Federal-territorial coordination, fishing in territorial waters would continue unconstrained. Therefore, a Federal closure is not expected to significantly impact the availability of bottomfish, and subsequently, the Guam economy.

Overall Description of Deadline: Under section 304(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Council must prepare and implement a FMP, plan amendment, or proposed regulations for the fishery within two years to end overfishing and rebuild affected stocks.