96-30074. Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries  

  • [Federal Register Volume 61, Number 229 (Tuesday, November 26, 1996)]
    [Proposed Rules]
    [Pages 60074-60076]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 96-30074]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
    
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    
    50 CFR Part 648
    
    [Docket No. 961114317-6317-01; I.D. 102596B]
    RIN 0648-XX70
    
    
    Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries
    
    AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
    Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
    
    ACTION: Proposed 1997 fishing quotas for surf clams and ocean quahogs; 
    request for comments.
    
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    SUMMARY: NMFS issues proposed quotas for the Atlantic surf clam and 
    ocean quahog fisheries for 1997. These quotas were selected from a 
    range defined as optimum yield (OY) for each fishery. The intent of 
    this action is to establish
    
    [[Page 60075]]
    
    allowable harvests of surf clams and ocean quahogs from the exclusive 
    economic zone in 1997.
    
    DATES: Public comments must be received on or before December 26, 1996.
    
    .ADDRESSES: Copies of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's 
    analysis and recommendations are available from David R. Keifer, 
    Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Room 2115, 
    Federal Building, 300 South New Street, Dover, DE 19901-6790.
        Send comments to: Dr. Andrew A. Rosenberg, Regional Administrator, 
    Northeast Region, NMFS, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298. 
    Mark on the outside of the envelope, ``Comments--1996 Surf Clam and 
    Ocean Quahog Quotas.''
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Gouveia, Fishery Management 
    Specialist, 508-281-9280.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Fishery Management Plan for the Atlantic 
    Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries (FMP) directs the Secretary of 
    Commerce (Secretary), in consultation with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery 
    Management Council (Council), to specify quotas for surf clams and 
    ocean quahogs on an annual basis from a range that represents the OY 
    for each species. For surf clams, the quota must fall within the OY 
    range of 1.85 million bushels to 3.40 million bushels. For ocean 
    quahogs, the quota must fall within the OY range of 4.00 million 
    bushels to 6.00 million bushels. Further, it is the policy of the 
    Council that the harvest levels selected should allow fishing to 
    continue at that level for at least 10 years for surf clams and 30 
    years for ocean quahogs. While staying within these constraints, the 
    quotas are also to be set at a level that would meet the estimated 
    annual demand.
        During its discussions of the 1996 quota recommendations, the 
    Council was advised by NMFS to revise the overfishing definitions 
    specified in the FMP. Subsequently, the Council revised the definitions 
    and submitted them to NMFS as Amendment 9 to the FMP. Overfishing was 
    previously defined for both species in terms of actual yield levels. 
    That is, overfishing was defined as harvests in excess of the quota 
    levels specified. However, that definition did not incorporate 
    biological considerations to protect against overfishing. The 
    overfishing definitions contained in Amendment 9 (61 FR 50807, 
    September 27, 1996), which were recently approved by NMFS on behalf of 
    the Secretary, are fishing mortality rates of F20% (20 percent of 
    Maximum Spawning Potential (MSP)) for surf clams and F25% (25 
    percent of MSP) for ocean quahogs. These levels equate to annual 
    exploitation rates of 15.3 percent for surf clams and 4.3 percent for 
    ocean quahogs.
        In proposing the quotas set forth herein, the Council considered 
    the available stock assessments, data reported by harvesters and 
    processors, and other relevant information concerning exploitable 
    biomass and spawning biomass, fishing mortality rates, stock 
    recruitment, projected effort and catches, and areas closed to fishing. 
    This information was presented in a written report prepared by the 
    Council. The proposed quotas for the 1997 Atlantic surf clam and ocean 
    quahog fisheries are shown below. The surf clam quota would be 
    unchanged from the 1996 level, and the ocean quahog quota would be 
    reduced by approximately 3 percent.
    
                   Proposed 1997 Surf Clam/Ocean Quahog Quotas              
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     1997 final   1997 final
                        Fishery                     quotas (bu)  quotas (hL)
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Surf clam.....................................    2,565,000    1,362,000
    Ocean quahog..................................    4,317,000    2,292,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    Surf Clams
    
        Amendment 9 defines overfishing for surf clams as F20%. This 
    translates roughly to F = 0.18 for surf clams. The proposed 1997 quota 
    for surf clams of 2.565 million bushels was recommended by the Science 
    and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Council and adopted by the 
    Council at its September 1996 meeting. This quota yields an approximate 
    F = 0.12 for all areas. Therefore, the proposed quota is below the 
    threshold definition for overfishing.
        This proposed quota meets the 1996 Stock Assessment Workshop (SAW)-
    22 Advisory Report recommendation ``that the current (i.e., 1996) surf 
    clam quota be maintained until a new stock assessment is available with 
    abundance estimates based on fishery catch rate and research survey 
    data.'' A research survey is scheduled to be conducted in 1997. This 
    quota is within the OY range of 1.85 to 3.4 million bushels required by 
    the FMP. The Council assumed that none of the Georges Bank resource 
    (approximately one quarter of the total resource) would be available 
    during the next 10 years for harvesting, because implementation of a 
    protocol for testing paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is unlikely to 
    happen within 10 years. Both the SSC and the Council Surf Clam and 
    Ocean Quahog Committee believed that the reopening of the Georges Bank 
    area was uncertain and too speculative to base quota recommendations 
    upon. The Industry Advisory Group concurred.
    
    Ocean Quahogs
    
        Amendment 9 defines overfishing for ocean quahogs as F25%. 
    This translates to F = 0.04 for ocean quahogs. The proposed 1997 quota 
    for ocean quahogs of 4.317 million bushels, a reduction of 3 percent 
    from 1996, was recommended by the Council staff and adopted by the 
    Council at its September meeting. The proposed quota yields an F = 
    0.032. Therefore, the proposed quota is below the threshold definition 
    for overfishing. The proposed quota still assumes that all of the 
    Georges Bank biomass may become available to the fishery over the 
    course of the 30-year harvest period. The Council assumes that the PSP 
    testing protocol will be implemented within 30 years. However, the 
    Council stated that additional quota reductions would be necessary in 
    the future, if demonstrable progress is not made toward implementing 
    the protocol and reopening Georges Bank in the near future. In 
    addition, the 1996 SAW-22 Advisory Report did not provide any forecast 
    for ocean quahogs and only provided the management advice that a 30-
    year supply is possible only if areas off southern New England and Long 
    Island, generally too deep to be harvested with current technology, and 
    PSP-contaminated biomass on Georges Bank become available for harvest.
    
    Classification
    
        The Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Regulation, 
    Department of Commerce, certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of 
    the Small Business Administration that
    
    these proposed specifications issued under authority of the 
    Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, if adopted 
    as proposed, will not have a significant economic impact on a 
    substantial number of small entities. These proposed specifications 
    would establish the same annual quota for surf clams in 1997 (2.565 
    million bushels), as in 1996, and an annual quota for ocean quahogs 
    of 4.317 million bushels in 1997, which is only a 3-percent 
    reduction in the quota for that species in 1996.
        It is not expected that any vessels would cease operations if 
    the proposed specifications for 1997 are implemented, and compliance 
    costs should not increase by 10 percent or more for 20 percent of 
    the vessels or processors in any of these fisheries. Also, 20 
    percent or more of the vessels or processors in the fishery should 
    not experience a gain or loss of revenues of 5 percent or more.
    
        Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
    
    
    [[Page 60076]]
    
    
        Dated: November 19, 1996.
    Gary Matlock,
    Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
    Service.
    [FR Doc. 96-30074 Filed 11-25-96; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 3510-22-W
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
11/26/1996
Department:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Entry Type:
Proposed Rule
Action:
Proposed 1997 fishing quotas for surf clams and ocean quahogs; request for comments.
Document Number:
96-30074
Dates:
Public comments must be received on or before December 26, 1996.
Pages:
60074-60076 (3 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. 961114317-6317-01, I.D. 102596B
RINs:
0648-XX70
PDF File:
96-30074.pdf
CFR: (1)
50 CFR 648