[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 216 (Wednesday, November 9, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-27747]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: November 9, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 285

[I.D. 110494A]

 

Atlantic Tuna Fisheries; Bluefin Tuna

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

ACTION: Bluefin tuna quota transfer from the longline-south Incidental 
subcategory to the longline-north Incidental subcategory.

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SUMMARY: NMFS transfers 5 metric tons (mt) of bluefin tuna from the 
longline-south Incidental subcategory to the longline-north Incidental 
subcategory. NMFS has determined that the fisheries landing bluefin 
under the longline-south Incidental subcategory will not achieve the 
full 1994 quota allocation. This action is being taken to extend the 
season for the longline-north Incidental subcategory, which will assure 
additional collection of biological assessment and monitoring data and 
increase the economic benefits from this fishery without contributing 
significantly to additional bluefin mortality. In addition, this action 
will prevent waste of bluefin tuna which might otherwise be discarded 
dead.

EFFECTIVE DATE: November 4, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Kelly, 301-713-2347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Bluefin tuna are currently in their fall 
feeding grounds in New England and Mid-Atlantic waters, so incidental 
catch by longline vessels operating south of 34 deg. N. lat. is not 
expected to occur at high levels. The longline-north Incidental 
subcategory has only .8 mt remaining of its allocation of 23 mt for 
vessels fishing north of 34 deg. N. lat. Once the quota is reached for 
this northern subcategory, any bluefin tuna incidentally taken by 
longline vessels must be discarded at sea. In order to prevent waste of 
bluefin tuna, which would otherwise be discarded dead, NMFS is 
transferring 5 mt of quota from the southern to the northern 
subcategory. This amount should be sufficient to account for incidental 
take of bluefin by the northern subcategory for the remainder of this 
year while the balance for the southern subcategory will be added to 
their 1995 quota.

Classification

    This action is authorized by 50 CFR 285.22(i) and is exempt from 
review under E.O. 12866.

    Dated: November 4, 1994.
David S. Crestin,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-27747 Filed 11-4-94; 2:34 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F