[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 116 (Friday, June 14, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 30182-30183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15114]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 285
[I.D. 060596A]
Atlantic Tuna Fisheries; Bluefin Tuna Adjustments
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Bluefin tuna catch limit adjustment.
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SUMMARY: NMFS takes this inseason action to reopen the Angling category
fishery for large school and small medium Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ABT)
and to adjust daily catch limits for the Angling category fishery to
one fish per angler, which may be from the school or large school size
class, and, in addition, one fish per vessel from the small medium size
class ABT. This action is being taken to lengthen the fishing season
and ensure reasonable fishing opportunities in all geographic areas
without risking overharvest of this category.
EFFECTIVE DATE: The daily catch limit adjustment is effective June 18,
1996, through December 31, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Hogarth, 301-713-2347.
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.
Implementing regulations for the Atlantic tuna fisheries at
Sec. 285.24 allow for inseason adjustments to the daily catch limits in
order to lengthen the fishing season and ensure reasonable fishing
opportunities for all geographic areas. The Assistant Administrator for
Fisheries, NOAA, may increase or reduce the per-angler catch limit for
any size class bluefin tuna or may change the per-angler limit to a
per-boat limit or a per-boat limit to a per-angler limit.
The 1996 quota of ABT allocated to the Angling category has been
adjusted to 243 metric tons (mt) by a final rule effective June 18,
1996. The portion of this recreational catch that may be taken in large
school and small medium ABT is 100 mt. As of June 5, 1996, preliminary
estimates of recreational fishery landings of ABT between 47 inches
(119 cm) and 73 inches (185 cm) total 60 mt. Due to earlier projections
on ABT catch by this fishing category, the daily catch limit for ABT
was set at one fish per vessel per day (61 FR 8223, March 4, 1996), and
subsequently, the fishery for large school and small medium ABT was
closed (61 FR 11336, March 20, 1996).
With the adjusted quota for the Angling category and the revised
catch estimates, sufficient quota remains to exercise the regulatory
authority for inseason adjustments to reopen the large school/small
medium category. In addition, the daily catch limit for ABT is adjusted
to one fish per angler, which may be from the school or large school
size class, and one small medium size class ABT may be landed per
vessel.
Fishing for, retention, possessing, or landing large medium or
giant ABT by vessels in the Angling category or Charter/Headboat
category was previously closed (61 FR 8223, March 4, 1996) to prevent
overharvest of the quota established for that category. This
[[Page 30183]]
current action has no effect on that prior closure. Recreational
anglers may continue to fish for large medium and giant ABT under the
NMFS tag-and-release program (Sec. 285.27).
Subsequent adjustments to the daily catch limit, if any, shall be
announced through publication in the Federal Register. In addition,
anglers may call the Highly Migratory Species Information Line at 301-
713-1279 for updates on quota monitoring and catch limit adjustments.
Anglers aboard Charter/Headboat and General category vessels, when
engaged in recreational fishing for school, large school, and small
medium ABT, are subject to the same rules as anglers aboard Angling
category vessels.
Classification
This action is taken under 50 CFR 285.20(b) and 50 CFR 285.22 and
is exempt from review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.
Dated: June 10, 1996.
Richard H. Schaefer,
Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-15114 Filed 6-11-96; 9:47 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
