The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces increases to the trip limits for vessels in the limited entry fixed gear and open access fisheries that are targeting sablefish, lingcod, the Minor Slope Rockfish complex, the Minor Shelf Rockfish complex (including Widow and shortbelly rockfishes), canary rockfish, yellowtail rockfish, the Minor Nearshore Rockfish complex, and Dover sole and other flatfish. Specifics on these changes to trip limits are described in the bulleted lists below, and can be viewed in the regulations at the end of the Federal Register notice.
These adjustments were recommended to NMFS by the Pacific Fishery Management Council at its April 4-10, 2020, meeting. The Federal Register notice implementing these adjustments will publish on June 9, 2020. These adjustments are effective on June 9, 2020 through the end of 2020, unless subsequently modified via the Federal Register.
Limited Entry Fixed Gear Fishery – North of 40° 10’ N. lat. (Table 2 (North) to Part 660, Subpart E)
- Increase minor slope rockfish and darkblotched rockfish trip limits from “6,000 lb/ 2 month” to “8,000 lb/ 2 months”;
- Increase sablefish trip limits from “1,300 lb week, not to exceed 3,900 lbs/2months” to “1,500 lb week, not to exceed 4,500 lb/2 months”;
- Increase dover sole, arrowtooth flounder, petrale sole, English sole, starry flounder, Other Flatfish from “5,000 lb/ month” to “10,000 lb/ month”.
- Increase minor shelf rockfish, shortbelly, and widow rockfish trip limits from “200 lb/ month” to “800 lb/ month”;
- Increase yellowtail rockfish trip limits from “1,000 lb/ month” to “3,000 lb/month”;
- Increase canary rockfish trip limits from “300lb / 2 months” to “3,000 lb/ 2 months”;
- Increase minor nearshore rockfish trip limits between 42° N. lat and 40°10 N. lat from “7,000 lb/ 2 months, no more than 1,500 lb of which may be species other than black rockfish” to “7,000 lb/ 2 months, no more than 2,000 lb of which may be species other than black rockfish”;
- Increase lingcod trip limits north of 42° N. lat from “2,600 lb/2 months” to “4,000 lb/ 2 months”; and
- Increase lingcod trip limits between 42° N. lat and 40°10 N. lat from “1,400 lb/2 months” to “2,000 lb/ 2 months”;
Limited Entry Fixed Gear Fishery – South of 40° 10’ N. lat. (Table 2 (South) to Part 660, Subpart E)
- Non-trawl RCA boundary adjustments, see Table 2 above.
- Within the Minor Slope Rockfish & Darkblotched rockfish trip limits, increase blackgill rockfish sub-trip limits from “40,000 lb/ 2 months, of which no more than 4,000 lb may be blackgill rockfish” to “40,000 lb/ 2 months, of which no more than 5,500 lb may be blackgill rockfish” in periods 3-6;
- Increase sablefish trip limits north of 36 from “1,300 lb week, not to exceed 3,900 lbs/2months” to “1,500 lb week, not to exceed 4,500 lb/2 months”;
- Increase dover sole, arrowtooth flounder, petrale sole, English sole, starry flounder, Other flatfish from “5,000 lb/ month” to “10,000 lb/ month”.
- Increase minor shelf, shortbelly, widow, and chilipepper rockfish trip limits between 40° 10' N. lat. and 34° 27' N. lat. from “Minor shelf rockfish, shortbelly, widow rockfish, & chilipepper: 2,500 lb/ 2 months, of which no more than 500 lb may be any species other than chilipepper.” to “Minor shelf rockfish, shortbelly, widow rockfish, & chilipepper: 8,000 lbs/ 2 months, of which no more than 500 lb may be vermilion”;
- Increase minor shelf, shortbelly, and widow rockfish trip limits south of 34° 27' N. lat. from “4,000 lb/ 2 months” to “5,000 lbs/ 2 months, of which no more than 4,000 lb may be vermilion” in periods 3-6;
- Increase chilipepper rockfish trip limits south of 34° 27' N. lat. from “2,000 lb/ 2 months, this opportunity only available seaward of the non-trawl RCA” to “4,000 lb/ 2 months, this opportunity only available seaward of the non-trawl RCA”; and
- Increase canary rockfish trip limits between 40° 10’ N. lat. and 37° 27’ N. lat. from “300 lb/ 2 months” to “3,500 lb/ 2 months”; and Increase canary rockfish trip limits south of 37° 27’ N. lat. from “300 lb/ 2 months” to “3,500 lb/ 2 months” for periods 3-6;
- Increase shallower nearshore rockfish trip limits from “1,200 lb/ 2 months” to “2,000 lb/ 2 months” for periods 3-6;
- Increase deeper nearshore rockfish trip limits from “1,200 lb/ 2 months” to “2,000 lb/ 2 months” for periods 3-6;
- Increase lingcod trip limits from “1,200 lb/ 2 months” to “1,500 lb/ 2 months” in periods 3-6;
Open Access Fishery – North of 40° 10’ N. lat. (Table 3 (North) to Part 660, Subpart E)
- Increase minor slope rockfish and darkblotched rockfish trip limits from “ 500 pounds/month” to “1,000 lb/ month”;
- Increase sablefish trip limits from “300 lb day; or one landing per week up to 1,200 lb, not to exceed 2,400 lb/2 months” to “300 lb day; or one landing per week up to 1,500 lb, not to exceed 3,000 lb/2 months;
- Increase dover sole, arrowtooth flounder, petrale sole, English sole, starry flounder, Other Flatfish from 3,000 lb/ month, no more than 300 lb of which may be species other than Pacific sanddabs” to “5,000 lb/ month”.
- Increase minor shelf rockfish, shortbelly, and widow rockfish trip limits from “200 lb/ month” to “800 lb/ month”;
- Increase yellowtail rockfish trip limits from “500 lb/ month” to “1,500 lb/ month”;
- Increase canary rockfish trip limits from “300 lb / 2 months” to “1,000 lb/ 2 months”;
- Increase minor nearshore rockfish, Washington Black rockfish, & Oregon Black/Blue/Deacon rockfish trip limits between 42° N. lat and 40°10 N. lat from “7,000 lb/ 2 months, no more than 1,500 lb of which may be species other than black rockfish” to “7,000 lb/ 2 months, no more than 2,000 lb of which may be species other than black rockfish” for periods 2-6; and
- Increase lingcod trip limits north of 42° N. lat from “1,200 lb/ month” to “2,000 lb/ month”;
- Increase lingcod trip limits between 42° N. lat and 40°10 N. lat from “600 lb/ month” to “1,000 lb/ month”;
Open Access Fishery – South of 40° 10’ N. lat. (Table 3 (South) to Part 660, Subpart E)
- Non-trawl RCA boundary adjustments, see Table 2, above.
- Increase blackgill rockfish trip limits from “10,000 lb/ 2 months, of which no more than 800 lb may be blackgill rockfish” to “10,000 lb/ 2 months, of which no more than 1,500 lb may be blackgill rockfish” in periods 3-6;
- Increase sablefish trip limits north of 36 from “300 lb day; or one landing per week up to 1,200 lb, not to exceed 2,400 lb/2 months” to “300 lb day; or one landing per week up to 1,500 lb, not to exceed 3,000 lb/2 months”;
- Increase dover sole, arrowtooth flounder, petrale sole, English sole, starry flounder, Other Flatfish from 3,000 lb/ month, no more than 300 lb of which may be species other than Pacific sanddabs” to “5,000 lb/ month”;
- Increase minor shelf, shortbelly, widow, and chilipepper rockfish trip limits between 40° 10' N. lat. and 34° 27' N. lat. from “400 lb/ 2 months” to “4,000 lb/ 2 months, of which no more than 400 lb may be vermilion” for periods 3-6;
- Increase minor shelf, shortbelly, and widow rockfish trip limits south of 34° 27' N. lat. from “1,500 lb/ 2 months” to “3,000 lb/ 2 months, of which no more than 1,500 lb may be vermilion” for periods 3-6;
- Increase canary rockfish trip limits from “300 lb/ 2 months” to “1,500 lb/ 2 months”;
- Increase shallower nearshore rockfish (minor nearshore rockfish, California Black rockfish, & Oregon Black/Blue/Deacon rockfish) trip limits from “1,200 lb/ 2 months” to “2,000 lb/ 2 months” for periods 3-6;
- Increase deeper nearshore rockfish (minor nearshore rockfish, California Black rockfish, & Oregon Black/Blue/Deacon rockfish) trip limits from “1,200 lb/ 2 months” to “2,000 lb/ 2 months” for periods 3-6; and
- Increase lingcod trip limits from “500 lb/ month” to “700 lb/ month” in periods 3-6.
