Current Fishery Management & Evaluation Plans
NOAA Fisheries Service has approved several fishery management and evaluation plans (FMEPs). They meet the criteria under the Endangered Species Act Section 4(d) rule for limitation of "take" prohibitions. The 4(d) rule describes that fishery harvest activities are not subject to take prohibitions under ESA Section 9 provided they're conducted in accordance with a NOAA Fisheries Service-approved FMEP and a letter of concurrence from the agency.
The public had an opportunity to review and comment on each FMEP. NOAA Fisheries Service determined that these plans meet the rigorous criteria described in the 4(d) rule, and that fisheries conducted in accordance with these FMEPs and their associated monitoring and reporting requirements will not appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of ESA-listed species affected by those fisheries.
