NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Proposed 2023 Bluefish Commercial and Recreational Specifications

NOAA … NOAA Fisheries is proposing the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended catch specifications for the 2023 bluefish fishery. These proposed catch limits are largely unchanged from what was previously projected for fishing year 2023, with adjustments to the final recreational harvest limit to account for a 2021 recreational sector overage, and the most recent (2021) recreational discard data available. A comparison of the current, previously projected, and Council’s recommended specifications is shown in Table 1 below.

Proposed Rule for the 2023 Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Specifications submit your comments through the online portal. The comment period is open through November 30, 2022.

You may submit comments on this document, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2022-0102, by the following method: Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.
1. Go to https://www.regulations.gov, and enter “NOAA-NMFS-2022-0102” in the Search box;
2. Click the “Comment” icon, complete the required fields; and
3. Enter or attach your comments.

Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are part of the public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying information ( e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter “N/A” in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous). If you are unable to submit your comment through www.regulations.gov, contact Cynthia Ferrio, Fishery Policy Analyst, Cynthia.Ferrio@noaa.gov. Copies of the Supplemental Information Report (SIR) and other supporting documents for this action are available upon request from Dr. Christopher M. Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Suite 201, 800 North State Street, Dover, DE 19901. These documents are also accessible via the internet at https://www.mafmc.org/action-archive.