[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 206 (Tuesday, October 24, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 63549-63550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27291]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 000407096-0096-01; I.D. 101700A]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery; Commercial Haddock Harvest

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

ACTION: Removal of haddock daily trip limit.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator), has projected that less than 75 percent of 
the haddock target total allowable catch (TAC) will be harvested (4,689 
metric tons (mt) of the 6,252 mt target TAC) for the 2000 fishing year 
under the present landing limit, so the daily landing limit is being 
suspended until March 1, 2001. Therefore, between October 26, 2000, and 
February 28, 2001, vessels fishing under a multispecies day-at-sea 
(DAS) may possess no more than 50,000 lb (22,680 kg) per trip, but are 
not restricted to a limit per DAS. Unless subsequent projections 
indicate some other measure is required to ensure that the haddock 
target TAC is harvested but not exceeded, the existing daily trip limit 
of 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) per DAS will go back into effect on March 1.

DATES: Effective October 26, 2000, through February 28, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick Pearson, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
978-281-9279.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations implementing the haddock trip 
limit in Framework Adjustment 33 (65 FR 21658, April 24, 2000) became 
effective May 1, 2000. To ensure that haddock landings remain within 
the target TAC of 6,252 mt established for the 2000 fishing year, 
Framework 33 established an initial landing limit of 3,000 lb (1,360.8 
kg) per DAS fished and 30,000 lb (13,608 kg) per trip maximum, followed 
by an increased landing limit of 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) per DAS and 50,000 
lb (22,680 kg) per trip from October 1, 2000, through April 30, 2001. 
Framework 33 also provided a mechanism to adjust the haddock trip limit 
based upon the percentage of TAC which is projected to be harvested. 
Section 648.86(a)(1)(iii)(B) specifies that if the Regional 
Administrator has projected that less than 75 percent (4,689 mt) of the 
haddock target TAC will be harvested in the 2000 fishing year, the 
landing limit may be adjusted. Further, this section stipulates that 
NMFS will publish a notification in the Federal Register informing the 
public of the date of any changes to the landing limit.
    Based on the available information, the Regional Administrator has 
projected that 4,689 mt will not be harvested by April 30, 2001, under 
the existing landing limit. The Regional Administrator has determined 
that removal of the daily landing limit of 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) per DAS 
through February 28, 2001, while retaining the 50,000 lb (22,680 kg) 
per trip possession limit, provides the industry with the opportunity 
to harvest at least 75 percent of the target TAC for the 2000 fishing 
year. However, because of difficulties inherent in collecting real-time 
haddock landings information, the

[[Page 63550]]

Regional Administrator has determined that the daily trip limit will be 
reimposed on March 1, 2001, unless she can project that the haddock 
target TAC for fishing year 2000 will be harvested but not exceeded 
before the end of the fishing year. Therefore, pursuant to Sec.  
648.86(a)(1)(iii)(B), the haddock daily landing limit is suspended, 
while the 50,000 lb (22,680 kg) per trip maximum possession limit is 
retained, from October 26, 2000, until February 28, 2001. The Regional 
Administrator may adjust this possession limit again through 
publication of a notification in the Federal Register, pursuant to 
Sec.  648.86(a)(1)(iii).

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: October 18, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-27291; 10-19-00 4:52 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S