Public Invited to Comment on Proposal for Standardized Bycatch Reporting

November 7, 2006

Release from:
NOAA

The New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils will convene public hearings and seek public comment on a draft amendment to all the fishery management plans (FMPs) under their purview. The omnibus amendment would establish a standardized bycatch reporting methodology for each FMP, as required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The purpose of the amendment is to explain the methods and processes by which bycatch is currently monitored and assessed for Northeast Region fisheries, to determine whether these methods and processes need to be modified and/or supplemented, and to establish standards of precision for bycatch estimation. Alternatives include bycatch reporting and monitoring mechanisms, analytical techniques and allocation of at-sea fishery observers, establishment of a target level for precision of bycatch estimates, and requirements for reviewing and reporting on the efficacy of the standardized.

Public hearings are scheduled for November 14, 2006, in Gloucester , MA , and December 12, 2006, in New York City, NY. Copies of the draft amendment and the public hearing document are available online. Send written comments to SBRMcomment@noaa.gov by 5pm on December 29, 2006. For more information, read the Federal Register notice or contact Michael Pentony at (978) 281-6283.