[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 122 (Friday, June 25, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 34139-34140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-16204]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 981106278-8336-02; I.D. 060999A]
RIN 0648-AL76


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel, 
Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; 1999 Specifications

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

ACTION: Inseason adjustment of Illex squid annual specifications.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notification to announce that the 
Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is 
adjusting the annual specifications for Illex squid (Illex 
illecebrosus), including allowable biological catch (ABC), initial 
optimum yield (IOY), domestic annual harvest (DAH) and domestic annual 
processing (DAP), from 19,000 metric tons (mt) to 22,800 mt. The 
regulations for the Atlantic mackerel, squid and butterfish fisheries 
require publication of this announcement to provide interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on the adjustments.

DATES: Effective June 25, 1999. Comments on this notification must be 
received by July 26, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional 
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark on the outside of the envelope ``Comments on 
Adjustment of Illex Squid Annual Specifications.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Christopher, Fishery Management 
Specialist, at 978-281-9288.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Final 1999 initial specifications for the 
Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fisheries were published in 
the Federal Register at 64 FR 1139, January 8, 1999. The Illex squid 
specifications were established as follows: 24,000 mt maximum optimum 
yield (Max OY); 19,000 mt ABC, IOY, DAH and DAP; 0 mt joint venture 
processing (JVP); and 0 mt total allowable level of foreign fishing 
(TALFF).
    The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted 
Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) on October 6, 1998, to bring the FMP into accord 
with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Management Act as 
amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act. The new overfishing 
definition for Illex squid in Amendment 8 included a target yield 
associated with 75 percent of the fishing mortality at maximum 
sustainable yield (FMSY). The yield was calculated to be 
18,000 mt in the Amendment. However, upon review of the new overfishing 
definition, the Northeast Fishery Science Center (Center) discovered an 
error in the calculation of the 18,000 mt target yield. The Center's 
review identified that the Council had calculated the 18,000 mt target 
yield as 75 percent of maximum sustainable yield, rather than 75 
percent of FMSY. Further, the overfishing definition had 
inadvertently cited the draft version of the 21st Stock 
Assessment Workshop stock assessment of Illex. The Center determined 
that the actual yield associated with FMSY in the 
overfishing definition should be 22,800 mt.
    Amendment 8 to the FMP and the associated overfishing definitions 
were approved on April 28, 1999. The Council chose not to lower the 
Illex squid specifications to the 18,000 mt target yield indicated in 
Amendment 8

[[Page 34140]]

so that the maximum amount of Illex squid could be harvested within the 
goals of the existing FMP. However, the Council, notified of the error 
in the determination of the 18,000 mt target yield in the Amendment, 
recommended at its April 29, 1999, meeting that the specifications for 
Illex squid fishery be adjusted to 22,800 mt to allow the maximum 
amount of harvest allowed by the amended FMP and the new overfishing 
definition.
    The Council requested that NMFS process an emergency action ``...or 
any other action deemed necessary...'' to change the specifications. 
While an emergency action would not be appropriate, the regulations at 
Sec. 648.21(e) for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish allow the 
Regional Administrator to process an inseason action to adjust the 
specifications. There is no justifiable reason to limit the industry to 
19,000 mt since the target yield to prevent overfishing has been 
determined to be 22,800 mt. The 22,800 mt specifications would provide 
the industry with the maximum amount of harvest based on the 
overfishing definition for Illex squid. Therefore, 22,800 mt is 
specified as the allowed for ABC, IOY, DAH, and DAP. This action is 
warranted by the new overfishing definition for Illex squid. Max OY 
would remain at 24,000 mt, and JVP and TALFF would remain at 0 mt.

1999 Final Specifications

    The following table contains the final initial specifications for 
the 1999 Atlantic mackerel, Loligo and Illex squids, and butterfish 
fisheries as recommended by the Council.

 Final Initial Annual Specifications For Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish for the Fishing Year January 1
                                           through December 31, 1999.
                                                      [mt]
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                                                                        Squid
                       Specifications                        --------------------------   Atlantic    Butterfish
                                                                 Loligo       Illex       Mackerel
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Max OY                                                             26,000       24,000       \1\N/A       16,000
ABC                                                                21,000       22,800      383,000        7,200
IOY                                                                21,000       22,800    \2\75,000        5,900
DAH                                                                21,000       22,800    \3\75,000        5,900
DAP                                                                21,000       22,800       50,000        5,900
JVP                                                                     0            0       10,000            0
TALFF                                                                   0            0            0            0
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\1\Not applicable.
\2\OY may be increased during the year, but the total will not exceed 383,000 mt.
\3\Includes 15,000 mt of Atlantic mackerel recreational allocation.

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

    Dated; June 21, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-16204 Filed 6-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F