E9-2779. Fisheries in the Western Pacific; Western Pacific Crustacean Fisheries; 2009 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Lobster Harvest Guideline

AGENCY:

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION:

Notification of harvest guideline for crustaceans.

SUMMARY:

NMFS announces that the annual harvest guideline for the commercial lobster fishery in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) for calendar year 2009 is established at zero lobsters.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bob Harman, NMFS Pacific Islands Region, 808-944-2271.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The NWHI commercial lobster fishery is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Crustacean Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region (Crustaceans FMP). The regulations at 50 CFR 665.50(b)(2) 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 at zero lobsters for the NWHI commercial lobster fishery for calendar year 2009; thus, no harvest of NWHI lobster resources is allowed.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: January 30, 2009.

Emily H. Menashes,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.