[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 64 (Monday, April 4, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-8005]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 4, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 940390-4090 I.D. 030794B]

 

Shrimp Fishery Off the Southern Atlantic States

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

ACTION: Notice of control date for entry into the rock shrimp component 
of the shrimp fishery off the southern Atlantic states.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces a control date of April 4, 1994, for the 
commercial fishery for rock shrimp in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) 
off Florida from Duval through St. Lucie counties. Anyone entering the 
fishery after April 4, 1994, may not be assured of future participation 
in the fishery if a management regime is developed and implemented that 
limits the number of participants in the fishery. This notice is 
intended to discourage new entries into the fishery based on economic 
speculation while the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 
(Council) considers whether and how participation or effort in the rock 
shrimp fishery off the Florida counties should be controlled.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Eldridge, 813-893-3161.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council prepared a Fishery Management 
Plan for the Shrimp Fishery off the South Atlantic Region (FMP), which 
is implemented through regulations at 50 CFR part 659 under the 
authority of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
(Magnuson Act). The FMP contains management measures applying to brown, 
pink, and white shrimp which are caught in the shrimp fishery off the 
southern Atlantic states. The shrimp fishery also includes royal red 
and rock shrimp. There currently are no regulations for rock shrimp and 
the Council is considering management measures for this component of 
the shrimp fishery. If the Council determines that management is 
necessary, an amendment to the FMP will be developed pursuant to the 
requirements of the Magnuson Act and other applicable law.
    The rock shrimp fishery is prosecuted mainly in the EEZ off Florida 
from Duval through St. Lucie counties. Florida produces over 85 percent 
of U.S. landings of rock shrimp. Rock shrimp landings have varied from 
1.8 to 5.4 million pounds (816.5 to 2,449.4 metric tons) in the past 
decade. The introduction of peeling machines resulted in the capture of 
much smaller shrimp and greatly increased landings in 1989 and 1990. 
However, in 1991, landings decreased about two-thirds from the level 
experienced in 1989 and 1990 even though fishing effort remained at a 
high level. The rapid decrease in landings raised concern by industry 
that overfishing may be occurring. There is also concern about the 
small size of shrimp that have been taken.
    In February 1994, the Council held a scoping meeting to solicit 
input from the industry and public on the management of rock shrimp. 
Based on the results of that meeting, the Council began development of 
options for management of the rock shrimp fishery. The Council will 
consider a range of options including area restrictions, seasons, mesh 
sizes, count limits, and limited entry.
    In establishing a control date, the Council intends to discourage 
speculative entry into the rock shrimp fishery while it discusses 
possible management regimes. As the Council considers a limited entry 
or access-controlled management regime, among other options, some 
fishermen who do not currently harvest rock shrimp, and never have done 
so, may decide to enter the fishery for the sole purpose of 
establishing a record of making commercial landings of rock shrimp. In 
the absence of a control date, such a record generally may be 
considered indicative of economic dependence on the fishery. On this 
basis, the fishermen may successfully lay claim to access to a fishery 
that is otherwise limited to traditional participants. When management 
authorities begin to consider use of a limited access management 
regime, this speculative entry often is responsible for a rapid 
increase in fishing effort in fisheries that are already fully or over-
developed. The original problems become exacerbated by those who seek 
possible windfall gain from the solutions being discussed.
    Establishment of a control date does not commit the Council or NMFS 
to any particular management regime or criterion for entry into the 
rock shrimp fishery. Fishermen are not guaranteed future participation 
in the rock shrimp fishery regardless of their date of entry or 
intensity of participation in the fishery before or after the control 
date. The Council may subsequently choose a different control date, or 
it may choose a management regime that does not make use of such a 
date. The Council may choose to give variably weighted consideration to 
fishermen in the fishery before and after the control date. Other 
qualifying criteria, such as documentation of commercial landings and 
sales, may be applied for entry. The Council may choose also to take no 
further action to control entry or access to the fishery.


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

    Dated: March 30, 1994.
Charles Karnella,
Acting Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-8005 Filed 4-1-94; 8:45 am]
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