NMFS issues this final rule to implement approved measures contained in Amendment 7 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) including a resubmitted part of the amendment.
These regulations: Establish an annual target Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for regulated species; accelerate the current days-at-sea (DAS) effort reduction program; eliminate most of the exemptions to the effort control program and revise the requirements for taking time out of the fishery; add new closed areas; restrict fisheries in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank (GOM/GB) and Southern New England (SNE) regulated mesh areas having more than a minimal bycatch of regulated species; establish the current experimental Nantucket Shoals dogfish fishery as an exempted fishery; modify the permit categories; establish restrictions on charter/party and recreational vessels; and revise and expand the existing framework provisions.