Atlantic Chub Mackerel
The 2023 specifications for Atlantic chub mackerel are unchanged and remain the same as what is currently in place from 2022.
|
Specification |
2022 (mt) |
2023 (mt) |
|
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) |
2,300 |
2,300 |
|
Annual Catch Limit (ACL) |
2,262 |
2,262 |
|
Annual Catch Target (ACT) |
2,171 |
2,171 |
|
Total Allowable Landings |
2,041 |
2,041 |
Longfin Squid
The 2023 specifications for longfin squid are unchanged and remain the same as what is currently in place from 2022.
|
Specification |
2022 (mt) |
2023 (mt) |
|
ABC |
23,400 |
23,400 |
|
Initial Optimum Yield (IOY) |
22,932 |
22,932 |
|
Domestic Annual Harvest (DAH) |
22,932 |
22,932 |
Illex Squid
For Illex Squid, this action maintains the 2022 40,000-mt acceptable biological catch for 2023, but the 2023 domestic annual harvest limit is slightly increased to 38,631 mt after applying a lower discard rate. This new discard rate represents a more accurate estimate than the discard rate than originally used in the proposed rule and appears to have been influenced by low observer coverage in 2020-2021 due to COVID-19.
|
Specification |
2022 (mt) |
2023 (mt) |
|
Overfishing Limit |
Not Available |
Not Available |
|
ABC |
40,000 |
40,000 |
|
Commercial Discard Set-Aside |
4.61% |
3.42% |
|
IOY/DAH |
38,156 |
38,631 |
Butterfish
This action implements the 2023 butterfish specifications and projected 2024 specifications. The 2023 and projected 2024 butterfish specifications reduces 2023 and 2024 butterfish ABCs to 17,267 mt and 15,764 mt, respectively, based on a new biological reference point for fishing mortality that is higher than earlier values based on updated scientific information.
|
Specification |
2022 (mt) |
2023 (mt) |
2024 (mt) |
|
ABC/ACL |
17,854 |
17,267 |
15,764 |
|
Total Discard Set-aside (all sources) |
5,466 |
5,132 |
5,132 |
|
DAH |
11,495 |
11,271 |
9,844 |
These specifications also maintain the existing butterfish mortality cap in the longfin squid fishery of 3,884 mt and the existing allocation of the butterfish mortality cap among longfin squid trimesters.
|
Trimester |
Percent |
Metric Tons |
|
I (Jan-Apr) |
43 |
1,670 |
|
II (May-Aug) |
17 |
660 |
|
III (Sep-Dec) |
40 |
1,554 |
|
Total |
100 |
3,844 |
This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.
