[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 66 (Thursday, April 6, 1995)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 17464-17465]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8499]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 655
[Docket No. 950118018-5083-02; I.D. 111494E]
RIN 0648-XX02
Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; Final 1995
Specifications
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final specifications for the 1995 Atlantic mackerel, squid, and
butterfish fisheries.
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SUMMARY: NMFS issues the final specifications for the 1995 fishing year
for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish. This action complies with
the regulations governing this fishery, which require NMFS to publish
annual specifications.
EFFECTIVE DATE: April 5, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Environmental Assessment are available from
the Northeast Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1
Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Copies of the Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council's quota paper 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hannah Goodale, 508-281-9101.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations implementing the Fishery
Management Plan for the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish
Fisheries (FMP) prepared by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
appear at 50 CFR part 655. These regulations require NMFS to publish a
document specifying the initial annual amounts of the initial optimum
yield (IOY), as well as the amounts for allowable biological catch
(ABC), domestic annual harvest (DAH), domestic annual processing (DAP),
joint venture processing (JVP), and total allowable levels of foreign
fishing (TALFF) for the species managed under the FMP. No reserves are
permitted under the FMP for any of these species. Procedures for
determining the initial annual amounts are found in Sec. 655.22.
These specifications are unchanged from the proposed specifications
that were published in the Federal Register on January 26, 1995 (60 FR
5162). No public comments were received concerning the proposed
specifications. After consideration of all relevant data, NMFS has made
a final determination of the initial amounts for each species. The
following table contains the final 1995 initial specifications for
Atlantic mackerel, Loligo and Illex squids, and butterfish.
[[Page 17465]]
Final Initial Specifications for Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and
Butterfish for the Fishing Year January 1 Through December 31, 1995 (mt)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Squid
Specifications -------------------------- Atlantic Butterfish
Loligo Illex Mackerel
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Max OY1............. 44,000 30,000 2N/A 16,000
ABC3................ 36,000 30,000 850,000 16,000
IOY................. 36,000 30,000 4100,000 10,000
DAH................. 36,000 30,000 5100,000 10,000
DAP................. 36,000 30,000 50,000 10,000
JVP................. 0 0 35,000 0
TALFF............... 0 0 0 0
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1Max OY as stated in the FMP.
2Not applicable; see the FMP.
3IOY can rise to this amount.
4This specification may be increased to 134,000 mt, the long-term
potential catch for the Atlantic mackerel fishery.
5Contains 15,000 mt projected recreational catch based on the formula
contained in the regulations (50 CFR part 655).
NMFS also announces the four special conditions put forth for
public comment that would affect any foreign joint venture fishery for
Atlantic mackerel, should one occur in 1995: (1) River herring bycatch
south of 37 deg.30' N. lat. may not exceed 0.25 percent of the over-
the-side transfers of Atlantic mackerel; (2) the Director, Northeast
Region, NMFS (Regional Director) should do everything within his power
to reduce impacts on marine mammals in prosecuting the Atlantic
mackerel fisheries; (3) IOY may be increased during the year, but the
total should not exceed 134,000 mt; and (4) applications from any given
nation for a joint venture for 1995 will not be decided on until the
Regional Director determines, based on an evaluation of performances,
that the nation's purchase obligations for previous years have been
fulfilled. There were no comments received regarding these conditions.
Classification
This action is authorized by 50 CFR part 655.
These final specifications are exempt from review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 30, 1995.
Samuel W. McKeen,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 95-8499 Filed 4-5-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-W