{"abstract":"Under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act), NMFS issues this final rule that establishes limits on fishing effort by U.S. purse seine vessels in the U.S. exclusive economic zone and on the high seas between the latitudes of 20[deg] N and 20[deg] S in the area of application of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention); restrictions regarding the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) for U.S. purse seine fishing vessels; limits on the catches of bigeye tuna by U.S. longline vessels in the Convention area; prohibitions on U.S. vessels used to fish for highly migratory species from engaging in transshipment in a particular area of the high seas (the Eastern High Seas Special Management Area or EHSSMA); and removal of existing reporting requirements for vessels transiting the EHSSMA. The rule also makes corrections to outdated cross references in existing regulatory text. This action is necessary to satisfy the obligations of the United States under the Convention, to which it is a Contracting Party.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE","name":"Commerce Department","id":54,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/commerce-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/54","parent_id":null,"slug":"commerce-department"},{"raw_name":"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration","name":"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration","id":361,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/361","parent_id":54,"slug":"national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2018/07/18/2018-15341.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":300,"title":50}],"citation":"83 FR 33851","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This rule is effective on July 18, 2018, except for the revised reporting requirements in 50 CFR 300.218(g), which contains information collection requirements that have not been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). NOAA will publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date for the revised reporting requirements upon OMB approval.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. 180209155-8589-02"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2018-15341","effective_on":"2018-07-18","end_page":33870,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2018/07/18/2018-15341.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/07/18/2018-15341/international-fisheries-western-and-central-pacific-fisheries-for-highly-migratory-species-fishing","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2018-15341?publication_date=2018-07-18","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2018-07-18/2018-15341/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":20,"page_views":{"count":696,"last_updated":"2026-10-23 04:15:03 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2018-07-18/pdf/2018-15341.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2018-15341.pdf?1531831529","publication_date":"2018-07-18","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2018/07/18/2018-15341.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"0648-BH77":{"issue":"201810","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/0648-BH77/fishing-limits-in-purse-seine-and-longline-fisheries-restrictions-on-the-use-of-fish-aggregating-dev","title":"Fishing Limits in Purse Seine and Longline Fisheries, Restrictions on the Use of Fish Aggregating Devices in Purse Seine Fisheries, and Transshipment Prohibitions","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201810&RIN=0648-BH77&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Substantive, Nonsignificant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["0648-BH77"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Compliance Guide: Bigeye Tuna Catch Limits in U.S. Longline Fisheries","document_id":"NOAA-NMFS-2018-0050-0021"},{"title":"Compliance Guide: Fishing Effort Limits and Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) Restrictions in U.S. Purse Seine Fisheries","document_id":"NOAA-NMFS-2018-0050-0020"},{"title":"Compliance Guide: Transshipping, Bunkering, and Catch Retention/Discard Requirements","document_id":"NOAA-NMFS-2018-0050-0019"},{"title":"BH77_revised RIR","document_id":"NOAA-NMFS-2018-0050-0018"},{"title":"BH77_final rule_revised SIR","document_id":"NOAA-NMFS-2018-0050-0017"},{"title":"BH77_final rule_FONSI","document_id":"NOAA-NMFS-2018-0050-0016"},{"title":"BH77 Regulatory Impact Review","document_id":"NOAA-NMFS-2018-0050-0005"},{"title":"BA85 Proposed Rule EA January 2012 (for BH77 reference) - Transshipping, Bunkering, and Purse Seine Discard Requirements","document_id":"NOAA-NMFS-2018-0050-0004"},{"title":"BH77 - Programmatic Environmental Assessment - 10 Jul 2015 (for reference)","document_id":"NOAA-NMFS-2018-0050-0003"},{"title":"BH77 Supplemental Information Report on National Environmental Policy Act Analyses","document_id":"NOAA-NMFS-2018-0050-0002"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/0648-BH77/fishing-limits-in-purse-seine-and-longline-fisheries-restrictions-on-the-use-of-fish-aggregating-dev","title":"Fishing Limits in Purse Seine and Longline Fisheries, Restrictions on the Use of Fish Aggregating Devices in Purse Seine Fisheries, and Transshipment Prohibitions"},"comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=NOAA-NMFS-2018-0050","supporting_documents_count":10,"docket_id":"NOAA-NMFS-2018-0050","regulation_id_number":"0648-BH77","title":"International Fisheries; Western and Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species; Fishing Limits in Purse Seine and Longline Fisheries, Restrictions on the Use of Fish Aggregating Devices in Purse Seine Fisheries, and Transshipment Prohibitions","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2018-08-07T10:00:16Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":false,"signing_date":null,"start_page":33851,"subtype":null,"title":"International Fisheries; Western and Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species; Fishing Limits in Purse Seine and Longline Fisheries, Restrictions on the Use of Fish Aggregating Devices in Purse Seine Fisheries, and Transshipment Prohibitions","toc_doc":"Western and Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species; Fishing Limits in Purse Seine and Longline Fisheries, Restrictions on the Use of Fish Aggregating Devices in Purse Seine Fisheries, and Transshipment Prohibitions","toc_subject":"International Fisheries:","topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Fish","Fisheries","Fishing","Marine resources","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Treaties"],"type":"Rule","volume":83}