[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