February 20, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries is proposing specifications for the 2020 Atlantic deep-sea red crab fishery, including an annual catch limit and total allowable landings limit. We are also proposing projected quotas for 2021-2023.
The New England Fishery Management Council recommended increasing the red crab fishery quota 12.7 percent to 2,000 metric tons for fishing years 2020-2023. Landings from 2013-2018 were below this quota, but have been increasing.
This rule proposes two regulatory updates:
- Revising the specifications timeframe from 3 to 4 years to match the recently updated Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s stock assessment schedule.
- Removing an outdated and unnecessary regulation that requires the Red Crab Plan Development Team to meet annually to review the status of the fishery.
Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register and supporting documents on the Council’s website.
The comment period is open through March 6.
You may submit comments, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2020-0007, by either one of the following methods:
- Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking portal. Go to our e-rulemaking portal, click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
- Mail: Submit written comments to Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Please mark the outside of the envelope, “Comments on the Red Crab Proposed Rule.”