NMFS Receives Petition about West Coast Bluefin Tuna

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced yesterday by way of the Federal Register that it has received a petition and a request for public comment on the petition for rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act

The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), a non-governmental organization, has petitioned the U.S. Department of Commerce to promulgate regulations to prohibit fishing for Pacific bluefin tuna and to identify specific reference points used to determine if overfishing is occurring or if the stock is overfished.

The petition asserts that Pacific bluefin tuna are not adequately protected under the existing Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species (HMS FMP). The petition also states that more robust international actions are necessary for ending overfishing of the stock. The petition seeks that NMFS take action to amend the HMS FMP and its implementing regulations for addressing domestic fishing on Pacific bluefin tuna. The petitioner also requests that NMFS develop recommendations to the Secretary of State to end overfishing of Pacific bluefin tuna at the international level, which would not be a rulemaking action.

All public comments must be submitted by September 22, 2014.

For more information see: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/07/24/2014-17431/fisheries-off-west-coast-states-pacific-bluefin-tuna