August 19, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries is closing the directed fishery in federal waters through the end of the fishing year, December 31, 2019.
Effective at 0001 hour on August 21, vessels are prohibited from fishing for or landing more than 10,000 lb of Illex squid per trip in or from federal waters through December 31, 2019. Vessels may not land Illex squid more than once per calendar day.
Landings information analyzed by NOAA Fisheries projects the Illex squid fishery will meet 95 percent of the annual quota for the 2019 fishing year on August 21.
If you have started a trip prior to August 21, you may offload and sell more than 10,000 lb of Illex squid from that trip, as long as the vessel entered port before 0001 hr on August 21.
For more information, please read the notice as filed in the Federal Register, and the permit holder bulletin posted on our website.