[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 24 (Monday, February 6, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6977-6979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-2749]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 652

[Docket No. 950126030-5030-01; I.D. 111794A]


Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries

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

ACTION: Proposed 1995 fishing quotas for surf clams and ocean quahogs; 
request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS proposes quotas for the Atlantic surf clam and ocean 
quahog fisheries for 1995. These quotas were selected from a range 
defined as optimum yield (OY) for each fishery. The intent of this 
action is to establish allowable harvests of surf clams and ocean 
quahogs from the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in 1995.

DATES: Public comments must be received on or before March 6, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's 
analysis and recommendations are available from David R. Keifer, 
Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Room 2115, 
Federal Building, 300 South New Street, Dover, DE 19901-6790.
    Send comments to Jon C. Rittgers, Acting Regional Director, 
Northeast Region, NMFS, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298. 
Mark on the outside of the envelope, ``Comments--1995 Surf Clam and 
Ocean Quahog Quotas.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Myles Raizin, Resource Policy Analyst, 
508-281-9104.

[[Page 6978]] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Fishery Management Plan 
for the Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries (FMP) directs 
NMFS, in consultation with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council 
(Council), to specify quotas for surf clams and ocean quahogs on an 
annual basis from a range to represent the OY for each fishery.
    In a 1992 policy, the Council selected annual harvest levels that 
would allow those harvests to continue for at least 10 years for surf 
clams and 30 years for ocean quahogs. As a further refinement of the 
1992 policy, the Council voted in 1993 that, within the biological 
constraints imposed by the finite resource, annual quotas would be set 
at levels that will meet estimated annual demand.
    For surf clams, the quota must fall within the OY range of 1.85 
million bu (652 thousand hectoliters (hL)) and 3.40 million bu (1.2 
million hL). For ocean quahogs, the quota must fall within the OY range 
of 4.00 million bu (1.4 million hL) and 6.00 million bu (2.1 million 
hL).
    In proposing the 1995 quotas, NMFS considered the available stock 
assessments, data reported by harvesters and processors, and other 
relevant information concerning exploitable biomass and spawning 
biomass, fishing mortality rates, stock recruitment, projected effort 
and catches, and areas closed to fishing. This information was 
presented in a written report prepared by the Council and adopted by 
the Director, Northeast Region, NMFS.
    Proposed quotas as recommended by the Council are: Surf clams--
2.565 million bu (933.8 thousand hL); ocean quahogs--4.9 million bu 
(1.73 million hL). These proposed quotas represent decreases from the 
1994 quotas of 2.85 million bu (1.0 million hL) for surf clams, and 5.4 
million bu (1.9 million hL) for ocean quahogs.
    On January 30 and 31, 1995, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center 
presented a new stock assessment of surf clams and ocean quahogs. 
Copies may be obtained from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 
Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543, telephone: 508-548-5123. Results of 
this stock assessment were not available to the Council at the time the 
proposed 1995 quotas were established.
    NMFS is concerned that the overfishing definitions for these two 
species, as contained in the FMP, may be inadequate to protect the 
long-term productivity of these resources, based on the findings of a 
recent Scientific Review Committee. Therefore, NMFS will advise the 
Council that prior to setting the 1996 quotas, it should revise these 
definitions to ensure they have a biological basis.

Surf Clams

    The proposed 1995 quota for surf clams of 2.565 million bu (933.8 
thousand hL) was recommended by the Council staff.
    The potential harvest of 300,000 bu (105.7 thousand hL) from the 
Georges Bank area, which constitutes nearly 20 percent of the surf clam 
biomass, was not added to this proposed quota on the assumption that 
the area east of 69 deg. W. long. will remain closed to fishing in 1995 
due to the continued danger of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP).
    Under the current FMP, the Mid-Atlantic, Nantucket Shoals, and 
Georges Bank areas are combined. Therefore, the 300,000 bu (105.7 
thousand hL) from Georges Bank could be safely harvested in other areas 
west of 69 deg. W. long. However, with the decline in abundance of surf 
clams in the Mid-Atlantic region, and the absence of a significant year 
class since 1976 off New Jersey and 1977 off the Delmarva peninsula, 
the Council concurred with staff recommendations that the conservation 
of the resource is best served by reducing the present quota to 2.565 
million bu (933.8 thousand hL).

Ocean Quahogs

    The proposed 1995 quota for ocean quahogs of 4.9 million bu (1.73 
million hL) was recommended by the Council.
    Council staff had recommended a 1995 quota of 4.6 million bu (1.6 
million hL) due to a lack of significant recruitment to the population 
for the past several decades, and strong indications that the 
proportion of quahog resource available to the industry is dwindling. 
As with surf clams, the quahog resource on Georges Bank remains 
unavailable for harvest due to PSP.
    In 1993, the Council adopted as a quota setting policy that the 
quota should be set within the OY range (4.0 million--6.0 million bu 
(1.4 million--2.1 million hL)) at a level that will allow fishing to 
continue at that level for at least 30 years.
    Based on that policy, Council staff recommended a 1995 quota of 4.6 
million bu (1.6 million hL). The recommendation was based on a 
determination that current estimates (1992) of the total EEZ ocean 
quahog abundance indicate a supply that would support current catches 
for 22 to 32 years. The Council staff also provided an analysis, which 
indicated that the average annual landings from 1984 to 1993 were 4.6 
million bu (1.6 million hL). This amount was used as an estimate of 
quantity demanded for ocean quahogs.
    At the Council meeting, discussion focused on the quantity of 
quahogs that can be sold in the market. Average annual landings were 
used as an indicator of that quantity. Annual landings for the 10-year 
period 1984 through 1993 averaged 4.6 million bu (1.6 million hL). If, 
however, data from the last 3 years are used, average annual landings 
were 4.9 million bu (1.73 million hL). At this higher exploitation 
rate, the stock of ocean quahogs is expected to support landings for 20 
to 30 years. Within the above constraint, the quota should be set at a 
level that will meet estimated annual demand. The Council voted in 
favor of a proposed quota of 4.9 million bu (1.73 million hL).
    Continued recruitment failure in this fishery and the difficulty in 
resolving the PSP problem for the Georges Bank portion of the stock 
warrant a conservative biological stance with regard to the likely 
long-term supply of quahogs. Nevertheless, NMFS is specifically seeking 
comment on the appropriate approach to consideration of market demand 
in establishing annual quotas for species managed under individual 
transferable quota.
    While quotas are set for maximum sustainable yield, the social 
implications of the quota must be addressed as well. If the quahog 
quota were to be set significantly in excess of current market demand, 
it would result in a segment of the industry being unable to sell part 
or all of its allocation, as vertically integrated operations would buy 
preferentially from their own boats. Current market demand would allow 
for a quota level of between 4.8 million bu (1.69 million hL) and 5.0 
million bu (1.76 million hL). The proposed quota of 4.9 million bu 
(1.73 million hL) serves to strike a balance between the yield of the 
resource and the effects on the industry.
    The proposed quotas for the 1995 Atlantic surf clam and ocean 
quahog fisheries are as follows:

               Proposed 1995 Surf Clam/Ocean Quahog Quotas              
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                                                    1995         1995   
                    Fishery                       proposed     proposed 
                                                quotas (bu)  quotas (hL)
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Surf clam.....................................    2,565,000      933,800
Ocean quahog..................................    4,900,000    1,730,000
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Classification

    This action is authorized by 50 CFR part 652, and these proposed 
[[Page 6979]] specifications are exempt from review under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: January 31, 1995.
Gary Matlock,
Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-2749 Filed 2-3-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-W