Framework Adjustment 9 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan

This action approves and implements Framework Adjustment 9 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. This rule establishes a rebuilding plan for herring, adjusts accountability measure catch threshold triggers when catch exceeds a herring annual catch limit or management area sub-annual catch limit, and revises existing regulations to clarify area closure and possession limit restrictions and add prohibitions that were inadvertently omitted from the regulations. This action is necessary to respond to updated scientific information and to achieve the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan. The approved measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, rebuild the overfished herring stock, achieve optimum yield, and ensure that management measures are based on the best scientific information available.