Title 50

SECTION 665.18

665.18 Framework adjustments to management measures.

§ 665.18 Framework adjustments to management measures.

Framework measures described below for each specific fishery are valid for all management areas, except where specifically noted in this section.

(a) Pelagic measures - (1) Introduction. Adjustments in management measures may be made through rulemaking if new information demonstrates that there are biological, social, or economic concerns in the fishery. The following framework process authorizes the implementation of measures that may affect the operation of the fisheries, gear, harvest guidelines, or changes in catch and/or effort.

(2) Annual report. By June 30 of each year, the Council-appointed pelagics monitoring team will prepare an annual report on the fisheries in the management area. The report shall contain, among other things, recommendations for Council action and an assessment of the urgency and effects of such action(s).

(3) Procedure for established measures. (i) Established measures are regulations for which the impacts have been evaluated in Council or NMFS documents in the context of current conditions.

(ii) The Council may recommend to the Regional Administrator that established measures be modified, removed, or reinstituted. Such recommendation shall include supporting rationale and analysis, and shall be made after advance public notice, public discussion, and consideration of public comment. NMFS may implement the Council's recommendation by rulemaking if approved by the Regional Administrator.

(4) Procedure for new measures. (i) New measures are regulations for which the impacts have not been evaluated in Council or NMFS documents in the context of current conditions.

(ii) The Council will publicize, including by Federal Register notice, and solicit public comment on, any proposed new management measure. After a Council meeting at which the measure is discussed, the Council will consider recommendations and prepare a Federal Register notice summarizing the Council's deliberations, rationale, and analysis for the preferred action, and the time and place for any subsequent Council meeting(s) to consider the new measure. At subsequent public meeting(s), the Council will consider public comments and other information received to make a recommendation to the Regional Administrator about any new measure. NMFS may implement the Council's recommendation by rulemaking if approved by the Regional Administrator.

(b) Crustacean measures - (1) Introduction. New management measures may be added through rulemaking if new information demonstrates that there are biological, social, or economic concerns in Permit Areas 1, 2, or 3. The following framework process authorizes the implementation of measures that may affect the operation of the fisheries, gear, harvest guidelines, or changes in catch and/or effort.

(2) Annual report. By June 30 of each year, the Council-appointed team will prepare an annual report on the fisheries in the management area. The report shall contain, among other things, recommendations for Council action and an assessment of the urgency and effects of such action(s).

(3) Procedure for established measures. (i) Established measures are regulations for which the impacts have been evaluated in Council or NMFS documents in the context of current conditions.

(4) Procedure for new measures. (i) New measures are regulations for which the impacts have not been evaluated in Council or NMFS documents in the context of current conditions.

(ii) The Council will publicize, including by a Federal Register document, and solicit public comment on, any proposed new management measure. After a Council meeting at which the measure is discussed, the Council will consider recommendations and prepare a Federal Register document summarizing the Council's deliberations, rationale, and analysis for the preferred action, and the time and place for any subsequent Council meeting(s) to consider the new measure. At subsequent public meeting(s), the Council will consider public comments and other information received to make a recommendation to the Regional Administrator about any new measure. NMFS may implement the Council's recommendation by rulemaking if approved by the Regional Administrator.

(c) Bottomfish measures - (1) Annual reports. By June 30 of each year, a Council-appointed bottomfish monitoring team will prepare an annual report on the fishery by area covering the following topics:

(i) Fishery performance data.

(ii) Summary of recent research and survey results.

(iii) Habitat conditions and recent alterations.

(iv) Enforcement activities and problems.

(v) Administrative actions (e.g., data collection and reporting, permits).

(vi) State and territorial management actions.

(vii) Assessment of need for Council action (including biological, economic, social, enforcement, administrative, and state/Federal needs, problems, and trends). Indications of potential problems warranting further investigation may be signaled by the following indicator criteria:

(A) Mean size of the catch of any species in any area is a pre-reproductive size.

(B) Ratio of fishing mortality to natural mortality for any species.

(D) Significant decline (50 percent or more) in bottomfish catch per unit of effort from baseline levels.

(E) Substantial decline in ex-vessel revenue relative to baseline levels.

(F) Significant shift in the relative proportions of gear in any one area.

(G) Significant change in the frozen/fresh components of the bottomfish catch.

(H) Entry/exit of fishermen in any area.

(I) Per-trip costs for bottomfish fishing exceed per-trip revenues for a significant percentage of trips.

(J) Significant decline or increase in total bottomfish landings in any area.

(K) Change in species composition of the bottomfish catch in any area.

(L) Research results.

(M) Habitat degradation or environmental problems.

(N) Reported interactions between bottomfish fishing operations and protected species in the NWHI.

(viii) Recommendations for Council action.

(ix) Estimated impacts of recommended action.

(2) Recommendation of management action. (i) The team may present management recommendations to the Council at any time. Recommendations may cover actions suggested for Federal regulations, state/territorial action, enforcement or administrative elements, and research and data collection. Recommendations will include an assessment of urgency and the effects of not taking action.

(ii) The Council will evaluate the team's reports and recommendations, and the indicators of concern. The Council will assess the need for one or more of the following types of management action: Catch limits, size limits, closures, effort limitations, access limitations, or other measures.

(iii) The Council may recommend management action by either the state/territorial governments or by Federal regulation.

(3) Federal management action. (i) If the Council believes that management action should be considered, it will make specific recommendations to the Regional Administrator after requesting and considering the views of its Scientific and Statistical Committee and Bottomfish Advisory Panel and obtaining public comments at a public hearing.

(ii) The Regional Administrator will consider the Council's recommendation and accompanying data, and, if he or she concurs with the Council's recommendation, will propose regulations to carry out the action. If the Regional Administrator rejects the Council's proposed action, a written explanation for the denial will be provided to the Council within 2 weeks of the decision.

(iii) The Council may appeal a denial by writing to the Assistant Administrator, who must respond in writing within 30 days.

(iv) The Regional Administrator and the Assistant Administrator will make their decisions in accord with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, other applicable law, and the bottomfish measures of the FEPs.

(v) To minimize conflicts between the Federal and state management systems, the Council will use the procedures in paragraph (c)(2) of this section to respond to state/territorial management actions. Council consideration of action would normally begin with a representative of the state or territorial government bringing a potential or actual management conflict or need to the Council's attention.

(4) Access limitation procedures. (i) Access limitation may be adopted under this paragraph (c)(4) only for the NWHI, American Samoa, and Guam.

(ii) If access limitation is proposed for adoption or subsequent modification through the process described in this paragraph (c)(4), the following requirements must be met:

(A) The bottomfish monitoring team must consider and report to the Council on present participation in the fishery; historical fishing practices in, and dependence on, the fishery; economics of the fishery; capability of fishing vessels used in the fishery to engage in other fisheries; cultural and social framework relevant to the fishery; and any other relevant considerations.

(B) Public hearings must be held specifically addressing the limited access proposals.

(C) A specific advisory subpanel of persons experienced in the fishing industry will be created to advise the Council and the Regional Administrator on administrative decisions.

(D) The Council's recommendation to the Regional Administrator must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the voting members.

(5) Five-year review. The Council will conduct a comprehensive review on the effectiveness of the Mau Zone limited access program 5 years following implementation of the program. The Council will consider the extent to which the FEP objectives have been met and verify that the target number of vessels established for the fishery is appropriate for current fishing activity levels, catch rates, and biological condition of the stocks. The Council may establish a new target number based on the 5-year review.

(d) Precious coral measures - (1) Introduction. Established management measures may be revised and new management measures may be established and/or revised through rulemaking if new information demonstrates that there are biological, social, or economic concerns in a precious coral permit area. The following framework process authorizes the implementation of measures that may affect the operation of the fisheries, gear, quotas, season, or levels of catch and/or in effort.

(2) Annual report. By June 30 of each year, the Council-appointed precious coral team will prepare an annual report on the fisheries in the management area. The report will contain, among other things, recommendations for Council action and an assessment of the urgency and effects of such action(s).

(3) Procedure for established measures. (i) Established measures are regulations for which the impacts have been evaluated in Council or NMFS documents in the context of current conditions.

(ii) The Council may recommend to the Regional Administrator that established measures be modified, removed, or reinstituted. Such recommendation will include supporting rationale and analysis and will be made after advance public notice, public discussion, and consideration of public comment. NMFS may implement the Council's recommendation by rulemaking if approved by the Regional Administrator.

(4) Procedure for new measures. (i) New measures are regulations for which the impacts have not been evaluated in Council or NMFS documents in the context of current conditions.

(ii) The Council will publicize, including by a Federal Register document, and solicit public comment on, any proposed new management measure. After a Council meeting at which the measure is discussed, the Council will consider recommendations and prepare a Federal Register document summarizing the Council's deliberations, rationale, and analysis for the preferred action and the time and place for any subsequent Council meeting(s) to consider the new measure. At a subsequent public meeting, the Council will consider public comments and other information received before making a recommendation to the Regional Administrator about any new measure. If approved by the Regional Administrator, NMFS may implement the Council's recommendation by rulemaking.

(e) Coral reef ecosystem measures - (1) Procedure for established measures. (i) Established measures are regulations for which the impacts have been evaluated in Council or NMFS documents in the context of current conditions.

(ii) The Council may recommend to the Regional Administrator that established measures be modified, removed, or reinstituted. Such recommendation shall include supporting rationale and analysis, and shall be made after advance public notice, public discussion and consideration of public comment. NMFS may implement the Council's recommendation by rulemaking if approved by the Regional Administrator.

(2) Procedure for new measures. (i) New measures are regulations for which the impacts have not been evaluated in Council or NMFS documents in the context of current conditions. New measures include, but are not limited to, catch limits, resource size limits, closures, effort limitations, reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

(ii) The Regional Administrator will publicize, including by Federal Register notice, and solicit public comment on, any proposed new management measure. After a Council meeting at which the measure is discussed, the Council will consider recommendations and prepare a document summarizing the Council's deliberations, rationale, and analysis for the preferred action, and the time and place for any subsequent Council meeting(s) to consider the new measure. At subsequent public meeting(s), the Council will consider public comments and other information received to make a recommendation to the Regional Administrator about any new measure. NMFS may implement the Council's recommendation by rulemaking if approved by the Regional Administrator.

(A) The Regional Administrator will consider the Council's recommendation and supporting rationale and analysis, and, if the Regional Administrator concurs with the Council's recommendation, will propose regulations to carry out the action. If the Regional Administrator rejects the Council's proposed action, the Regional Administrator will provide a written explanation for the denial within 2 weeks of the decision.

(B) The Council may appeal a denial by writing to the Assistant Administrator, who must respond in writing within 30 days.

(C) The Regional Administrator and the Assistant Administrator will make their decisions in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, other applicable laws, and the FEPs.

(D) To minimize conflicts between the Federal and state/territorial/commonwealth management systems, the Council will use the procedures in this paragraph (e)(2)(ii) to respond to state/territorial/commonwealth management actions. The Council's consideration of action would normally begin with a representative of the state, territorial or commonwealth government bringing a potential or actual management conflict or need to the Council's attention.

(3) Annual report. By July 31 of each year, a Council-appointed coral reef ecosystem monitoring team will prepare an annual report on coral reef fisheries of the western Pacific region. The report will contain, among other things:

(i) Fishery performance data, summaries of new information and assessments of need for Council action.

(ii) Recommendation for Council action. The Council will evaluate the annual report and advisory body recommendations and may recommend management action by either the state/territorial/commonwealth governments or by Federal regulation.

(iii) If the Council believes that management action should be considered, it will make specific recommendations to the Regional Administrator after considering the views of its advisory bodies.