All vessels with a federal limited access Northeast multispecies permit are eligible to join a groundfish sector. A sector is defined as a group of three distinct persons holding limited access vessel permits, who have voluntarily entered into a contract and agreed to certain fishing restrictions for a specified period of time, and which has been granted a quota in order to achieve objectives consistent with the applicable fishery management plan goals and objectives.
Sectors in the Northeast multispecies fishery are intended to provide fishermen with more flexibility and more direct responsibility for managing the resource. For more information about approved sectors, please visit the current fishing year sectors page or the archive for previously approved operations plans.
On an annual basis, approved sectors receive a quota for allocated groundfish stocks in the form of an annual catch entitlement. Because Atlantic halibut, Atlantic wolfish, ocean pout, and windowpane flounder are not allocated to sectors, they do not receive an annual catch entitlement for these stocks.
Sectors are allowed to carry over up to a maximum of 10 percent of their unused annual catch entitlement from one fishing year to the next for most allocated stocks. The amount of carryover allowed may be reduced as needed to comply with sector regulations and prevent overfishing.
Annual catch entitlement transfer requests must be submitted to, and approved by, NOAA Fisheries. Transfer requests may be submitted online by sector managers through the Sector Information Management Module, or they may be submitted in writing. A paper copy of the annual catch entitlement transfer form can be downloaded from the Greater Atlantic Region forms and applications page.
Sectors are required to submit an operations plan and contract to NOAA Fisheries prior to the fishing year in which it intends to operate. Operations plans may span either a 1 or 2-year period and must include information about membership, planned fishing activity, and sector rules and enforcement.
Accountability measures are triggered when a quota is exceeded, and are designed to correct problems that caused the quota to be exceeded, so future overages can be prevented. The following accountability measures apply to sectors:
In addition to the universal exemptions listed above, a sector may request additional exemptions in its operations plan. Approved exemptions, as well as additional instructions, are listed in a letter of authorization that must be kept on board by all sector vessels. For more information on sector exemptions that are approved for the current fishing year, please see the current fishing year sectors page.
A Northeast multispecies sector is a voluntary group of vessels that is allocated quotas for certain species managed under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan on an annual basis, based on the membership of that sector and their catch histories. A quota allocated to a sector under the plan is a management restriction on a group of vessels participating in a sector during a given fishing year, not a permit to harvest fish that can be held for exclusive use by a person. Unlike an Individual Fishing Quota fishery, there is no individual vessel allocation made by NOAA Fisheries, nor is there a permanent allocation that could be fished or transferred.
No. Vessel owners are not required to join a sector. Each fishing year a vessel owner may choose to join a sector or not. Sectors are self-selecting and voluntary, which means that the members of a sector may decide who can join and cannot join. Open access permits are not eligible to enroll in sectors and must fish in the common pool.
Sector vessels are not subject to trip limits for allocated groundfish stocks. All vessels are prohibited from landing windowpane flounder, ocean pout and Atlantic wolffish. For Atlantic halibut, all vessels are subject to a one-fish per trip limit. Trip limits for non-groundfish species remain in effect; sector vessels may qualify for different limits of non-groundfish stocks depending on their permit type and whether or not they use a day-at-sea.
Yes. Under Amendment 16, sector members may be held jointly liable for violations of the following requirements: Annual Catch Entitlement overages, discarding of legal-sized fish, and misreporting of catch (including landings and discards).
No. If fishermen opt to fish in a sector, they are making a commitment to remain in that sector for the duration of that fishing year. However, they do have the option to leave the sector and join another sector or the common pool in a subsequent fishing year.
If you decide to leave a sector at the end of the fishing year to join another sector for the next fishing year, you take your potential sector contribution with you. If you join the common pool your potential sector contribution contributes to the common pool quota. However, if you leave your sector after the start of the fishing year, you may not fish for groundfish for the remainder of that fishing year. To participate in a sector, you must be on their roster prior to the start of that fishing year.
Each year a sector must develop its own operations plan. The operations plan includes a roster of prospective sector members. Upon approval of the operations plan, NOAA Fisheries will calculate annual catch entitlements for the new fishing year based on the potential sector contribution of sector members. Operations plans may be approved for one or two fishing years.
All sector vessels are required to carry at-sea monitors when selected to do so. At-sea monitors collect data on vessel operations and discards. In the absence of at-sea monitoring, an assumed discard rate will be assigned to the sector. Sectors are responsible for the cost of at-sea monitoring, although sectors may be eligible for reimbursement for some monitoring costs. Sectors may negotiate with at-sea monitoring providers to set a mutually agreed upon price for at-sea monitoring services.
As part of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, the public and private sector partners in each of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors and the state, local, tribal, and territorial government community have developed a Sector-Specific Plan that focuses on the unique operating conditions and risk landscape within that sector. Developed in close collaboration with federal agencies and private sector partners, the Sector-Specific Plans are updated every four years to ensure that each sector is adjusting to the ever-evolving risk landscape.
The 2015 Sector-Specific Plans establish goals and priorities for the sector that address their current risk environment, such as the nexus between cyber and physical security, interdependence between various sectors, risks associated with climate change, aging and outdated infrastructure, and the need to ensure continuity in a workforce that is rapidly approaching retirement. Representing key aspects of national economic and physical security, these sectors include services people rely on every day, like transportation, communication, energy, water, food and agriculture, chemical, financial, healthcare, and other essential services that sustain the economic vitality and a high standard of living for Americans.
Businesses and government partners in each critical infrastructure sector can use their respective 2015 Sector-Specific Plan to develop individual paths forward as they address security challenges and build resilience within the unique risk management perspectives, priorities, and resources distinct to their sector. The plans also suggest ways to develop meaningful metrics that sectors can use to measure their progress as they enhance the security and resilience of their critical infrastructure.
By applying the actions outlined in the plans, sector participants should be able to create products and tools that support the local and regional jurisdictions where facilities and systems are located and events take place. The plans also provide common language and taxonomy, as well as a look at promising examples of how coordination and other activities at the national level may be applicable at the local and regional levels.
More consistent reporting on sector-specific impacts increases transparency and accountability for the issues that matter most. It can drive targeted action and decision-making that helps improve the impacts of organizations, while enhancing their contribution to sustainable development.
The EEOC provides leadership and guidance to federal agencies on all aspects of the federal government's equal employment opportunity program. EEOC assures federal agency and department compliance with EEOC regulations, provides technical assistance to federal agencies concerning EEO complaint adjudication, monitors and evaluates federal agencies' affirmative employment programs, develops and distributes federal sector educational materials and conducts training for stakeholders, provides guidance and assistance to our Administrative Judges who conduct hearings on EEO complaints, and adjudicates appeals from administrative decisions made by federal agencies on EEO complaints.
The state has invested in regional, public-private partnerships targeting key industries that are vital to our regional economies. There are currently active sector partnerships in 5 regions and in diverse industries such as retail, healthcare, tech, and more. Connect with a sector partnership in your region or industry using the directory below.
The Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) was created by the Department of Health and Human Services to aid in the protection of vital, controlled, healthcare-related information, and to ensure that cybersecurity information sharing is coordinated across the health and public health sector.
The four main sectors of an economy are: