Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Blueline Tilefish Fishery; Secretarial Interim Action

This temporary rule implements possession limits and permit requirements for the commercial and recreational blueline tilefish fisheries in waters north of the Virginia/North Carolina border. These interim management measures are necessary to prevent a return to an unregulated fishery which could result in overfishing and to temporarily constrain fishing effort on the blueline tilefish stock while a long-term management plan is implemented. These measures are expected to constrain fishing mortality and help ensure the long-term sustainability of the stock, while potentially preventing overfishing.