[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 217 (Wednesday, November 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 61278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29480]



[[Page 61278]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 110199A]


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Overfished Fisheries

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

ACTION: Notice of overfished fisheries.

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SUMMARY: In its annual report to Congress on the status of marine fish 
stocks, NMFS has identified 98 overfished stocks and 5 stocks that are 
approaching a condition of being overfished, while 127 species are not 
overfished and the condition of another 674 species is not known. The 
report is prepared to comply with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act), as amended by 
the Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA). The purpose of this document is to 
notify the public that the Regional Fishery Management Councils 
(Councils) or the Secretary of Commerce with respect to Atlantic highly 
migratory species have been informed of those fisheries that are 
overfished, and that they are required under the Magnuson-Stevens Act 
to initiate action to end overfishing, rebuild stocks in overfished 
fisheries, and prevent overfishing in fisheries that are approaching an 
overfished condition.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George H. Darcy, NMFS, 301-713-2341.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    This action is required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 
et seq.) as amended by the SFA, which was signed into law on October 
11, 1996. Section 304(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that the 
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) report annually to the Congress and 
the Councils on the status of fisheries within each Council's 
geographical area of authority and identify those fisheries that are 
overfished or are approaching a condition of being overfished. For 
those fisheries managed under a Fishery Management Plan (FMP) or 
international agreement, the status is to be determined using the 
criteria for overfishing specified in such FMP or agreement. A fishery 
is classified as approaching a condition of being overfished if, based 
on trends in fishing effort, fishery resource size, and other 
appropriate factors, the Secretary estimates that the fishery will 
become overfished within 2 years. Pursuant to section 304 of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Councils, and the Secretary for Atlantic 
highly migratory species, were notified on October 29, 1999, of the 
species that were overfished or approaching an overfished condition.
    The 1999 report finds that a total of 98 species are 
``overfished,'' 127 species are classified as ``not overfished,'' 5 
species are ``approaching an overfished condition,'' and for 674 
species the status is ``unknown.'' Conservation efforts and/or updated 
data on some fisheries allowed managers to remove 10 species from the 
overfished list while adding 18 new species. Six species that had been 
``approaching an overfished condition'' were removed from that list, 
but 1 new species was added to this year's report. In addition, a lack 
of information to satisfy the more complex overfishing definition 
required under the SFA caused 79 species to be moved from the ``not 
overfished'' category to the ``unknown'' designation. The new statutory 
definition requires that status determination criteria must specify 
both a maximum fishing mortality or reasonable proxy, and a minimum 
stock size threshold or reasonable proxy.
    A copy of the report is also available through the internet at
    <<http://kingfish.ssp.NMFS.gov/SFA>>.

    Dated: November 5, 1999.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-29480 Filed 11-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F