[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 1, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 46877-46878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-19359]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 000426114-0114-01; I.D. 072600D]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Spiny Dogfish 
Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for Period 1

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

ACTION: Commercial quota harvest for period 1.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the spiny dogfish commercial quota 
available in period 1 to the coastal states from Maine through Florida 
has been harvested. Commercial vessels may not land spiny dogfish from 
Maine through Florida for the remainder of the 2000 quota period 1 
(through October 31, 2000). Regulations governing the spiny dogfish 
fishery require publication of this notification to advise the coastal 
states from Maine through Florida that the quota has been harvested and 
to advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders that no 
commercial quota is available for landing spiny dogfish in these 
states.

DATES: Effective August 1, 2000, 0001 hrs, local time, through October 
31, 2000, 2400 hrs, local time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer L. Anderson, Fishery 
Management Specialist, at (978) 281-9226.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the spiny dogfish 
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual

[[Page 46878]]

specification of a commercial quota that is allocated into two quota 
periods based upon percentages of the annual quota. The period 1 
commercial quota (May through October) is distributed to the coastal 
states from Maine through Florida. The process to set the annual 
commercial quota is described in Sec. 648.230.
    The initial total commercial quota for spiny dogfish for the 2000 
calendar year was set equal to 4,000,000 lb (1,814 mt) (65 FR 25887, 
May 4, 2000). The period 1 quota, which is equal to 57.9 percent of the 
annual commercial quota, was set at 2,316,000 lb (1,050 mt).
    Section 648.231 requires the Regional Administrator Northeast 
Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) to monitor the commercial spiny 
dogfish quota for each quota period and, based upon dealer reports, 
state data and other available information, to determine when the 
commercial quota has been harvested. NMFS is required to publish a 
notice in the Federal Register advising and notifying commercial 
vessels and dealer permit holders that, effective upon a specific date, 
the spiny dogfish commercial quota has been harvested and no commercial 
quota is available for landing spiny dogfish for the remainder of 
period 1. The Regional Administrator has determined, based upon dealer 
reports and other available information, that the spiny dogfish 
commercial quota for the 2000 period 1 has been harvested.
    The regulations at Sec. 648.4(b) provide that Federal spiny dogfish 
permit holders agree as a condition of the permit not to land spiny 
dogfish in any state after NMFS has published a notification in the 
Federal Register stating that the commercial quota for the period has 
been harvested and that no commercial quota for the spiny dogfish 
fishery is available. The Regional Administrator has determined that 
period 1 for spiny dogfish no longer has commercial quota available. 
Therefore, effective 0001 hrs local time, August 1, 2000, further 
landings of spiny dogfish in coastal states from Maine through Florida 
by vessels holding commercial Federal fisheries permits are prohibited 
through October 31, 2000, 2400 hrs local time. The quota for period 2 
for commercial spiny dogfish harvest will open on November 1, 2000. 
Effective August 1, 2000, federally permitted dealers are also advised 
that they may not purchase spiny dogfish from federally permitted spiny 
dogfish permit holders that land in coastal states from Maine through 
Florida for the remainder of period 1 (through October 31, 2000).

Classification

    This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from 
review under Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: July 26, 2000.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Service.
[FR Doc. 00-19359 Filed 7-27-00; 3:50 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F