[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 227 (Friday, November 24, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 70522-70523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30025]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 991228355-0140-02; I.D. 110700C]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Maine Mahogany 
Quahog Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested

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

ACTION: Commercial quota harvest; closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Maine mahogany quahog commercial quota 
has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries 
permit for the Maine mahogany quahog fishery may not land Maine 
mahogany quahogs in the State of Maine for the remainder of calendar 
year 2000, unless fishing for an individual allocation of ocean quahogs 
under specific regulations. Regulations governing the Maine mahogany 
quahog fishery require publication of this notification to advise the 
public that the quota has been harvested and to notify vessel and 
dealer permit holders that no commercial quota is available for landing 
Maine mahogany quahogs.

DATES: Effective from 0001 hours, November 25, 2000, through 2400 
hours, December 31, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Ferreira, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978)281-9103.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the Maine mahogany 
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The annual quota of Maine 
Mahogany quahogs is 100,000 Maine bushels (35,150 hL) for 2000.
    Section 648.76(b)(1)(iv) requires the Administrator, Northeast 
Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) to monitor the Maine mahogany 
quahog quota based on dealer reports and other available information 
and determine when the quota will be harvested. The Regional 
Administrator is further required to publish notification in the 
Federal Register advising the public and notifying Federal vessel and 
dealer permit holders that, effective on a specific date, the 
commercial quota for Maine mahogany quahogs has been harvested and no 
commercial quota is available for landing Maine mahogany quahogs for 
the remainder of the year. The Regional Administrator has determined, 
based upon dealer reports and other available information, that the 
commercial Maine mahogany quahog quota for 2000 has been harvested.
    Therefore, effective 0001 hours, November 25, 2000, further 
landings of Maine mahogany quahogs in Maine by vessels issued a Maine 
mahogany quahog permit and not fishing for an individual allocation of 
ocean quahogs under Sec. 648.70 are prohibited for the remainder of the 
2000 calendar year. Effective 0001 hours, November 25, 2000, federally 
permitted dealers are also advised that they may not purchase Maine 
mahogany quahogs landed in Maine for the remainder of the calendar year 
from federally permitted vessels, unless they are fishing for an 
individual allocation of ocean quahogs.
    The Maine mahogany quahog zone as defined in Sec. 648.73(d), is 
closed to fishing for ocean quahogs except in those areas that are 
tested by the State of Maine and deemed to be within the requirements 
of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program and adopted by the 
Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference as acceptable limits for the 
toxin responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning. Harvesting of 
ocean quahogs is allowed only in the areas and during the time periods 
specified by the Maine Department of Marine Resources as being safe for 
human consumption.
    The regulations at Sec.  648.76(a)(2) specify that vessels fishing 
under an ocean quahog individual allocation, regardless of whether they 
possess a Maine mahogany quahog permit, may land their catch in Maine 
or, consistent with applicable state law, in any other state that 
utilizes food safety-based procedures consistent with those used by the 
State of Maine for such purpose,

[[Page 70523]]

and must comply with the requirements in Secs.  648.70 and 648.75. All 
mahogany quahogs landed by vessels fishing in the Maine mahogany quahog 
zone for an individual allocation of quahogs under Sec.  648.70 are 
counted against the ocean quahog allocation for which the vessel is 
fishing.

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: November 17, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-30025 Filed 11-22-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S