Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Biennial Specifications

This final rule implements annual harvest specifications and management measures to establish allowable catch levels for Pacific mackerel for the fishing years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. The harvest guideline (HG) and annual catch target (ACT) for the 2017-2018 fishing year are 26,293 metric tons (mt) and 25,293 mt, respectively. The HG and ACT for the 2018-2019 fishing year are 23,840 mt and 22,840 mt, respectively. The ACT serves as the primary directed commercial harvest quotas. If the fishery attains the ACT in either fishing year, the directed fishery will close, reserving the difference between the HG and ACT as a 1,000 mt set-aside for incidental landings in other fisheries. If the HG is reached, all retention would be prohibited through the end of the fishing year. This rule is intended to conserve and manage the Pacific mackerel stock off the U.S. West Coast.