2020 Harvest Specifications for Pacific Whiting, Cowcod, and Shortbelly Rockfish, and 2020 Pacific Whiting Tribal Allocation

NOAA Fisheries issues this final rule for 2020 harvest specifications and management measures for Pacific whiting, cowcod, and shortbelly rockfish.  It also establishes the 2020 tribal allocation for Pacific whiting.  

This final rule establishes the 2020 Pacific whiting U.S. TAC of 424,810 mt, establishes a tribal allocation of 74,342 mt, establishes the set-aside for research and bycatch of 1,500 mt and announces the allocations of Pacific whiting to the non-tribal fishery for 2020.  This final rule also includes adjustments to the 2020 catch limits for cowcod south of 40°10’ N lat. and coastwide shortbelly rockfish.  For shortbelly rockfish, the final rule increases the 2020 ACL to 3,000 mt.  For cowcod south of 40°10’ N lat., the final rule removes the annual catch target (ACT) and reduces the research set aside to 1 mt.  These changes increase the non-trawl and trawl allocations, and subsequent annual vessel limits in the trawl IFQ program. 

You can view the Federal Register notice implementing these adjustments below. The final rule is effective June 18, 2020.