View Rule

View EO 12866 Meetings Printer-Friendly Version     Download RIN Data in XML

DOC/NOAA RIN: 0648-BN59 Publication ID: Spring 2025 
Title: ●Recreational Measures Setting Process Framework Adjustment for Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish Fishery Management Plans 
Abstract:

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service is proposing this action pursuant to the authorities under sections 303(c) and 304(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission jointly manage summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish as a part of the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and Bluefish FMP. At their joint meeting in April 2025, the Council and the Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board are scheduled to approve the Recreational Measures Setting Process (RMS) Framework Adjustment for the FMPs. The proposed RMS Framework would replace the current Harvest Control Rule Framework, which will sunset at the end of 2025. Like the current framework, the RMS framework would consider factors other than historical harvest to determine how management measures should be adjusted. These factors include how past harvest compares to future harvest, evaluation of biomass, and fishing mortality estimates. This action would be relieving regulatory restrictions to allow increased flexibility in how the recreational fisheries for these species are managed. If there is no new framework in place once the current framework sunsets, then the management process would default to the old, more restrictive regulations. These prior regulations would likely result in negative economic impacts to the recreational fisheries.

 
Agency: Department of Commerce(DOC)  Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant 
RIN Status: First time published in the Unified Agenda Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Proposed Rule Stage 
Major: No  Unfunded Mandates: No 
EO 14192 Designation: Not subject to, not significant 
CFR Citation: 50 CFR 648   
Legal Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.   
Legal Deadline:  None
Timetable:
Action Date FR Cite
NPRM  08/00/2025 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No  Government Levels Affected: None 
Small Entities Affected: Businesses  Federalism: No 
Included in the Regulatory Plan: No 
RIN Data Printed in the FR: No 
Agency Contact:
Michael Pentony
Regional Administrator, Greater Atlantic Region
Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930
Phone:978 281-9283
Email: michael.pentony@noaa.gov