Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan; Fixed Gear Marking and Entanglement Risk Reduction

What it does

This proposed rule would implement gear marking requirements and entanglement risk reduction measures for portions of the Pacific coast groundfish fishery. This rulemaking will consist of mandatory requirements and voluntary measures. These new requirements and voluntary measures will be established pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The intent of the gear marking requirements is to increase the likelihood of attributing entanglements to a specific fishery and gear type. The intent of the risk reduction measures is to reduce bycatch by decreasing the likelihood of marine animal entanglements with fishing line. NMFS requests public comment on these proposed requirements and voluntary measures.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What it would change

1 part of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

50 CFR 660

Before this

No earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 0648-BN00 since Jan. 1, 2025.

Since then:

• Oct. 13, 2026 Final rule. Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan; Fixed Gear Marking and Entanglement Risk Reduction

What happens next and when

Comments must be received no later than March 9, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Docket NOAA-NMFS-2024-0045 on Regulations.gov
• Title 50 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register