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NOAA reports rulemaking on Pacific tunas, deep-set buoy permits and expected EFP EIS
Summary
The National Marine Fisheries Service updated the Pacific Fishery Management Council on Dec. 2024—s and Jan. 2025—s proposed international tuna rules, opened Tier 9 applications for deep-set buoy gear limited-entry permits and said it expects a final environmental impact statement for several HMS experimental fishing permits to publish in the Federal Register.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) reported to the Pacific Fishery Management Council on rulemaking tied to international tuna measures and on domestic highly migratory species (HMS) permitting.
NMFS said it published a proposed rule Dec. 5 to implement a one-year rollover of the IATTC tropical tuna management resolution, and a separate proposed rule Dec. 30 to implement the IATTC—s Pacific bluefin tuna trip limits and associated programmatic analysis. Both public-comment periods have closed and NMFS said it is awaiting timelines for publication of final rules.
NMFS policy lead Ryan Wolf also updated the council on a domestic limited-entry program for deep-set buoy gear. The agency opened the Tier 9 application period Feb. 1; Tier 9 is a first-come, first-served category among nine qualification tiers and the agency will issue up to 25 permits per year until the program reaches 300 total permits. NMFS reported it had already received 30 applications for Tier 9 and expects the first 25 approved permits to become effective May 1. Wolf said applicants who are not issued a permit this year will hold priority for the next issuance year.
On experimental fishing permits (EFPs), NMFS said it has completed environmental documentation supporting a suite of HMS EFPs the council previously reviewed and recommended for agency approval. NMFS advised the council it expects to publish a final environmental impact statement in the Federal Register on the coming Friday; the agency will circulate the Federal Register notice when it appears.
Why it matters: the proposed international rulemakings implement regionally negotiated measures that affect U.S. commercial and recreational tuna fisheries, and the limited-entry permit schedule and EFP documentation shape near-term opportunities for new buoy-gear participants and for trials of modified gear intended to reduce bycatch.
NMFS cautioned that, as with other recent rulemakings, there remains uncertainty about the timing for final rules to appear in the Federal Register.
Quotes and sourcing: NMFS rulemaking summaries and the deep-set buoy-gear update were delivered by Ryan Wolf during the council—s HMS NIMS report to the council; direct quotes included, "we opened the application period for qualification Tier 9 ... applications are technically open until March 31" and "we are expecting to publish this Friday in the Federal Register a final environmental impact statement for [the] suite of those EFPs." The council—s transcript records public-comment periods and application details as described above.
Next steps: NMFS will notify the council when the EIS appears in the Federal Register; the agency will publish final rules for the IATTC measures when administrative processes permit.
