# Pacific Island Fisheries; 2015 Harvest Guideline; Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Lobster
**AGENCY:**
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
**ACTION:**
Notification of lobster harvest guideline.
**SUMMARY:**
NMFS establishes the annual harvest guideline for the commercial lobster fishery in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands for calendar year 2015 at zero lobsters.
**DATES:**
February 6, 2015.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Bob Harman, NMFS PIR Sustainable Fisheries, tel 808-725-5170.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) commercial lobster fishery is managed under the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the Hawaiian Archipelago. The regulations at 50 CFR 665.252(b) require NMFS to publish an annual harvest guideline for lobster Permit Area 1, comprised of Federal waters around the NWHI. Regulations governing the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the NWHI prohibit the unpermitted removal of monument resources (50 CFR 404.7), and establish a zero annual harvest guideline for lobsters (50 CFR 404.10(a)). Accordingly, NMFS establishes the harvest guideline for the NWHI commercial lobster fishery for calendar year 2015 at zero lobsters. Thus, no harvest of NWHI lobster resources is allowed.
**Authority:**
16 U.S.C. 1801 *et seq.*
Dated: February 3, 2015
H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.