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
Key claim: Pacific Coast groundfish fishers must mark their fixed gear so marine-animal entanglements can be traced to a specific fishery, and new measures aim to cut the chance of animals getting caught in fishing line.
Abstract
(Rule · Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) This rulemaking implements gear marking requirements and entanglement risk reduction measures for portions of the Pacific coast groundfish fishery. This rulemaking consists of mandatory requirements and voluntary measures. These new requirements and voluntary measures are established pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens 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.
Why this matters
Gear-marking rules shift a small compliance cost onto West Coast groundfish fixed-gear fishers but give regulators the ability to attribute whale and other marine-animal entanglements to specific fisheries, which can drive future restrictions. For consumers, the near-term effect on groundfish prices is minimal; the longer-term significance is whether traceable entanglement data leads to tighter fishery closures under the Marine Mammal Protection Act or Endangered Species Act.