Amendment 79 to the FMP for the Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area

NOAA Fisheries issues a final rule to implement a groundfish retention standard program in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Island management area for trawl catcher/processor vessels that are 125 ft (38.1 m) length overall or greater and that are not listed American Fisheries Act catcher/processors referred to throughout this rule as non-AFA trawl C/Ps. This action is necessary to reduce bycatch and improve utilization of groundfish harvested by these non-AFA trawl C/Ps. This action is intended to promote the management objectives of the Improved Retention/Improved Utilization (IR/IU) program, the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area, and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.