[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 216 (Wednesday, November 6, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 57340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-28573]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 285
[I.D. 103096A]
Atlantic Tuna Fisheries; Adjustments
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Fishery reopening.
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SUMMARY: NMFS has determined that the Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABT)
General category quota, as adjusted, has not been reached. Therefore,
NMFS reopens the General category fishery for large medium and giant
ABT for all areas for three days. Closure of this three day fishery
will be strictly enforced. Subsequent to this closure, the General
category fishery for large medium and giant ABT for areas inside the
New York Bight will remain open until the set-aside quota is reached.
This action is being taken to extend scientific data collection on
certain size classes of ABT while preventing overharvest of the
adjusted subquotas for the affected fishing categories.
EFFECTIVE DATES: The General category fishery for large medium and
giant ABT will open for all areas beginning Saturday, November 2, at 1
a.m. local time and close on Monday, November 4, at 11:30 p.m. local
time. The General category fishery for large medium and giant ABT for
areas inside the New York Bight will remain open until further notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Kelly, 301-713-2347, or Mark
Murray-Brown, 508-281-9260.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations implemented under the authority
of the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.) governing
the harvest of ABT by persons and vessels subject to U.S. jurisdiction
are found at 50 CFR part 285. Section 285.22 subdivides the U.S. quota
recommended by the International Commission for the Conservation of
Atlantic Tunas among the various domestic fishing categories.
NMFS is required, under Sec. 285.20(b)(1), to monitor the catch and
landing statistics and, on the basis of these statistics, to project a
date when the catch of ABT will equal the quota and publish a Federal
Register announcement to close the applicable fishery.
General Category Reopening
Implementing regulations for the Atlantic tuna fisheries at
Sec. 285.22 provide for a quota of 541 mt of large medium and giant ABT
to be harvested from the regulatory area by vessels fishing under the
General category quota during calendar year 1996. The General category
ABT quota is further subdivided into monthly quotas to provide for
broad temporal and geographic distribution of scientific data
collection and fishing opportunities.
NMFS previously adjusted the General category October subquota to
60 mt for all areas outside the New York Bight and announced a closure
date of October 2, 1996 (61 FR 50765, September 27, 1996). NMFS
subsequently adjusted the General category October subquota by
transferring 30 mt from the Incidental longline category under the
authority of implementing regulations at 50 CFR 285.22(f) (61 FR 53677,
October 15, 1996). Thus, the October General category quota was
adjusted to 90 mt, with an additional 10 mt reserved for the New York
Bight. Since the quota adjustment, NMFS has reopened the General
category fishery for areas outside the New York Bight for one day on
three occasions (61 FR 53677, October 15, 1996, 61 FR 55119, October
24, 1996, and 61 FR 55926, October 30, 1996). Due to various reasons,
such as weather and fishing success, the full 90 mt October General
category quota still has not been taken. Therefore NMFS reopens the
General category fishery for large medium and giant ABT for all areas
for three days, November 2-4, 1996. Closure of this three day fishery
will be strictly enforced.
The New York Bight set-aside is not affected by this action and the
General category fishery for large medium and giant ABT for areas
inside the New York Bight will remain open until the set-aside quota is
reached. However, during this three day opening, November 2-4, 1996,
large medium and giant ABT harvested and landed in the New York Bight
area will not be counted against the New York Bight set-aside quota,
but will be counted against the remaining quota for the General
category fishery.
Analysis of landings data for 1992-1995 indicate that total
landings for the Incidental Longline categories for November and
December have been small. Additionally, the purse seiners have stopped
fishing for ABT prior to the 251 mt Purse Seine category quota being
taken. Therefore, given the above information, the reopening of the
General category is not expected to result in the total 1996 ABT quota
being exceeded.
Classification
This action is taken under 50 CFR 285.20(b), 50 CFR 285.22, and 50
CFR 285.24 and is exempt from review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.
Dated: November 1, 1996.
Richard Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-28573 Filed 11-1-96; 2:26 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
