[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 139 (Monday, July 21, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 38942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-19112]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 678
[I.D. 061797C]
Atlantic Shark Fisheries; Large Coastal Closure Notice
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Closure.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the commercial fishery for large coastal
sharks conducted by vessels with a Federal Atlantic Shark permit in the
Western North Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and
Caribbean Sea. This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the
semiannual quota for the period July 1 through December 31, 1997.
EFFECTIVE DATE: 2330 hours local time July 21 through December 31,
1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: C. Michael Bailey, John Kelly, or
Margo Schulze, 301-713-2347; Mark Murray-Brown, 508-281-9260; or Buck
Sutter, 813-570-5447.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic shark fishery is managed by
NMFS according to the fishery management plan (FMP) for Atlantic Sharks
under authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). Fishing by U.S. vessels is
governed by regulations implementing the FMP at 50 CFR part 678.
Section 678.24(b) of the regulations provides for two semiannual
quotas of large coastal sharks to be harvested from Atlantic,
Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico waters by commercial fishermen. The
second semiannual quota is available for harvest from July 1 through
December 31, 1997.
The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA), is required
under Sec. 678.25 to monitor the catch and landing statistics and, on
the basis of these statistics, to determine when the catch of Atlantic,
Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico sharks will equal any quota under
Sec. 678.24(b). When shark harvests reach, or are projected to reach, a
quota established under Sec. 678.24(b), the AA is further required
under Sec. 678.25 to close the fishery.
The first semiannual quota was available for harvest from January 1
through June 30, 1997. Final data indicated that the catch of large
coastal shark species from January through April 7, 1997, totaled 958
mt, which was 316 mt more than the established quota. Therefore, the
adjusted quota for large coastal shark species for the second 1997
semiannual period was decreased from 642 mt to 326 mt (62 FR 26428, May
14, 1997).
The AA has determined, based on the reported catch and other
relevant factors, that the adjusted semiannual quota for the period
July 1 through December 31, 1997, for large coastal sharks, in or from
the Western North Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and
Caribbean Sea, will be attained by July 21, 1997. During this closure,
for vessels issued a permit under Sec. 678.4, retention of large
coastal sharks from the management unit is prohibited, unless the
vessel is operating as a charter vessel or headboat, in which case the
vessel limit per trip is two small coastal, large coastal and pelagic
sharks combined plus two Atlantic sharpnose sharks per person per trip.
In addition, the sale, purchase, trade, or barter or attempted sale,
purchase, trade, or barter of carcasses and/or fins of large coastal
sharks harvested by a person aboard any vessel that has been issued a
permit under Sec. 678.4, is prohibited, except for those that were
harvested, off-loaded, and sold, traded, or bartered prior to July 21,
1997, and were held in storage by a dealer or processor.
Vessels that have been issued a Federal permit under Sec. 678.4 are
reminded that as a condition of permit issuance, the vessel may not
retain a large coastal shark during the closure, except as provided by
Sec. 678.24(a)(2). Fishing for pelagic and small coastal sharks may
continue. The recreational fishery is not affected by this closure.
Classification
This action is taken under 50 CFR part 678 and is exempt from
review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: July 16, 1997.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-19112 Filed 7-16-97; 2:24 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F