[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 122 (Friday, June 25, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 34139-34140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-16204]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 981106278-8336-02; I.D. 060999A]
RIN 0648-AL76
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel,
Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; 1999 Specifications
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Inseason adjustment of Illex squid annual specifications.
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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notification to announce that the
Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is
adjusting the annual specifications for Illex squid (Illex
illecebrosus), including allowable biological catch (ABC), initial
optimum yield (IOY), domestic annual harvest (DAH) and domestic annual
processing (DAP), from 19,000 metric tons (mt) to 22,800 mt. The
regulations for the Atlantic mackerel, squid and butterfish fisheries
require publication of this announcement to provide interested parties
the opportunity to comment on the adjustments.
DATES: Effective June 25, 1999. Comments on this notification must be
received by July 26, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark on the outside of the envelope ``Comments on
Adjustment of Illex Squid Annual Specifications.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Christopher, Fishery Management
Specialist, at 978-281-9288.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Final 1999 initial specifications for the
Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fisheries were published in
the Federal Register at 64 FR 1139, January 8, 1999. The Illex squid
specifications were established as follows: 24,000 mt maximum optimum
yield (Max OY); 19,000 mt ABC, IOY, DAH and DAP; 0 mt joint venture
processing (JVP); and 0 mt total allowable level of foreign fishing
(TALFF).
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted
Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) on October 6, 1998, to bring the FMP into accord
with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Management Act as
amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act. The new overfishing
definition for Illex squid in Amendment 8 included a target yield
associated with 75 percent of the fishing mortality at maximum
sustainable yield (FMSY). The yield was calculated to be
18,000 mt in the Amendment. However, upon review of the new overfishing
definition, the Northeast Fishery Science Center (Center) discovered an
error in the calculation of the 18,000 mt target yield. The Center's
review identified that the Council had calculated the 18,000 mt target
yield as 75 percent of maximum sustainable yield, rather than 75
percent of FMSY. Further, the overfishing definition had
inadvertently cited the draft version of the 21st Stock
Assessment Workshop stock assessment of Illex. The Center determined
that the actual yield associated with FMSY in the
overfishing definition should be 22,800 mt.
Amendment 8 to the FMP and the associated overfishing definitions
were approved on April 28, 1999. The Council chose not to lower the
Illex squid specifications to the 18,000 mt target yield indicated in
Amendment 8
[[Page 34140]]
so that the maximum amount of Illex squid could be harvested within the
goals of the existing FMP. However, the Council, notified of the error
in the determination of the 18,000 mt target yield in the Amendment,
recommended at its April 29, 1999, meeting that the specifications for
Illex squid fishery be adjusted to 22,800 mt to allow the maximum
amount of harvest allowed by the amended FMP and the new overfishing
definition.
The Council requested that NMFS process an emergency action ``...or
any other action deemed necessary...'' to change the specifications.
While an emergency action would not be appropriate, the regulations at
Sec. 648.21(e) for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish allow the
Regional Administrator to process an inseason action to adjust the
specifications. There is no justifiable reason to limit the industry to
19,000 mt since the target yield to prevent overfishing has been
determined to be 22,800 mt. The 22,800 mt specifications would provide
the industry with the maximum amount of harvest based on the
overfishing definition for Illex squid. Therefore, 22,800 mt is
specified as the allowed for ABC, IOY, DAH, and DAP. This action is
warranted by the new overfishing definition for Illex squid. Max OY
would remain at 24,000 mt, and JVP and TALFF would remain at 0 mt.
1999 Final Specifications
The following table contains the final initial specifications for
the 1999 Atlantic mackerel, Loligo and Illex squids, and butterfish
fisheries as recommended by the Council.
Final Initial Annual Specifications For Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish for the Fishing Year January 1
through December 31, 1999.
[mt]
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Squid
Specifications -------------------------- Atlantic Butterfish
Loligo Illex Mackerel
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Max OY 26,000 24,000 \1\N/A 16,000
ABC 21,000 22,800 383,000 7,200
IOY 21,000 22,800 \2\75,000 5,900
DAH 21,000 22,800 \3\75,000 5,900
DAP 21,000 22,800 50,000 5,900
JVP 0 0 10,000 0
TALFF 0 0 0 0
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\1\Not applicable.
\2\OY may be increased during the year, but the total will not exceed 383,000 mt.
\3\Includes 15,000 mt of Atlantic mackerel recreational allocation.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated; June 21, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-16204 Filed 6-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
