NOAA Fisheries is Soliciting Public Comment on Amendment 6 to the Shrimp Fishery Management Plan Amendment 6 proposes several actions, including the transfer of authority from the Council to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) for modifying shrimp bycatch reduction device (BRD) testing protocol; modifying bycatch reduction certification criteria from species-specific targets to a general 30 percent finfish reduction; requiring the use of BRDs in the rock shrimp fishery in the South Atlantic EEZ; establish standardized bycatch reporting requirements, require all vessels harvesting brown, white or pink shrimp in the South Atlantic EEZ to obtain an annually renewable federal shrimp vessel permit; and establish or modify designations of maximum sustainable yield, optimum yield, overfishing and overfished for penaeid and rock shrimp. The proposed actions in Amendment 6 are intended to enhance the ecological efficiency of the shrimp fishery of the South Atlantic EEZ by better identifying the bycatch in the fishery and conserving those species found in the bycatch, while sustaining the viability of the shrimp fishery with a minimum of economic and social impacts. For a complete description of the actions, please obtain a copy of Amendment 6 from the South Atlantic FMC by calling toll free 866-SAFMC-10 or e-mail
NOAA Fisheries is Soliciting Public Comment on Amendment 6 to the Shrimp Fishery Management Plan
Amendment 6 proposes several actions, including the transfer of authority from the Council to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) for modifying shrimp bycatch reduction device (BRD) testing protocol; modifying bycatch reduction certification criteria from species-specific targets to a general 30 percent finfish reduction; requiring the use of BRDs in the rock shrimp fishery in the South Atlantic EEZ; establish standardized bycatch reporting requirements, require all vessels harvesting brown, white or pink shrimp in the South Atlantic EEZ to obtain an annually renewable federal shrimp vessel permit; and establish or modify designations of maximum sustainable yield, optimum yield, overfishing and overfished for penaeid and rock shrimp.
The proposed actions in Amendment 6 are intended to enhance the ecological efficiency of the shrimp fishery of the South Atlantic EEZ by better identifying the bycatch in the fishery and conserving those species found in the bycatch, while sustaining the viability of the shrimp fishery with a minimum of economic and social impacts.
For a complete description of the actions, please obtain a copy of Amendment 6 from the South Atlantic FMC by calling toll free 866-SAFMC-10 or e-mail
sa***@sa***.net. Written comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., eastern time, on May 6, 2005.