Revised Fishery Management Plan for Tunas, Sharks, Swordfish, and Billfish Available Online

July 11, 2006

Release from:
NOAA

NOAA Fisheries has announced the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Final Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan. The FEIS describes a range of management measures that could impact fishermen and dealers for all HMS fisheries (tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish). These alternatives include management measures that would: establish mandatory workshops for fishermen and dealers; implement a complementary time/area closure and consider criteria for modifying and establishing time/area closures; address rebuilding and/or overfishing of northern albacore tuna, finetooth sharks, and Atlantic billfish; simplify the management process for bluefin tuna; change the fishing year for tunas, swordfish, and billfish back to a calendar year; authorize additional fishing gears; and clarify existing regulations.

Comments on the FEIS must be submitted to: FinalHMSFMP@noaa.gov and nepa.comments@noaa.gov by August 14. Comments received during the review period will be considered for their impact on the final rule. The final rule is expected to publish soon after the close of the review period on the FEIS.

For more information, contact Karyl.Brewster-Geisz@noaa.gov.