[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 180 (Monday, September 17, 2001)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 48011-48012]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23178]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 000407096-0096-01; I.D. 090501C]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery; Implementation of Conditional Closures

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

ACTION: Implementation of conditional closures in the Gulf of Maine.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator) has determined that at least 1.67 million lb 
(759 metric tons (mt)) of Gulf of Maine (GOM) cod has been landed as of 
July 31, 2001. Therefore, pursuant to regulations governing the 
Northeast multispecies fishery, specific areas within this fishery will 
be closed. The intent of this action is to protect GOM cod resources.

DATES: Effective November 1, 2001, through January 31, 2002.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations implementing the conditional 
Cashes Ledge and GOM Rolling Closure Areas in Framework Adjustment 33 
(65 FR 21658, April 24, 2000) became effective on June 1, 2000. To help 
ensure that GOM cod landings remain within the target TAC established 
for the fishing year, Framework 33 provided a mechanism specified at 50 
CFR 648.81(o) to close the area identified as the Cashes Ledge Closure 
Area from November 1 through November 30, and the area identified as 
Rolling Closure Area VI from January 1 through January 31 if the 
Regional Administrator determines that at least 50 percent of the 
average between the F0.1 target total allowable catch (TAC) 
and the Fmax target TAC (1.67 million lb (759 mt) for the 
fishing years beginning May 1, 2000, and May 1, 2001) has been landed 
as of, or before, July 31. Last year, on September 5, 2000, NMFS 
announced (65 FR 53648) that the

[[Page 48012]]

conditional closures would become effective for the 2000 fishing year.
    For the 2001 fishing year, which began on May 1, 2001, the New 
England Fishery Management Council (Council) voted to maintain the same 
GOM cod target TACs as in fishing year 2000 (for Fmax and 
F0.1), because of uncertainty regarding 1999 and 2000 GOM 
cod discard levels (66 FR 15812, March 21, 2001). The intent of 
retaining the same GOM cod target TACs was to prevent an increase in 
the exploitation of GOM cod during the 2001 fishing year. The 
conditional closure of Cashes Ledge in November 2001, and a portion of 
Massachusetts Bay in January 2002, are therefore required, if 
preliminary landings data through July 31, 2001, indicate that more 
than 1.67 million lb (759 mt) of GOM cod has been landed. NMFS is 
required to publish notification in the Federal Register informing the 
public of the implementation of the conditional closures if GOM cod 
landings exceed those levels.
    Based upon the best available scientific information, the Regional 
Administrator has determined that at least 1.67 million lb (759 mt) of 
GOM cod has been landed as of July 31, 2001. Therefore, NMFS is 
implementing the conditional closure of the Cashes Ledge Closure Area, 
as described in Sec.  648.81(h)(1), and Rolling Closure Area VI, as 
described in Sec.  648.81(g)(1)(vi), to better ensure that GOM cod 
landings remain within the target TACs established for the 2001 fishing 
year. Pursuant to Sec.  648.81(o), the Cashes Ledge Closure Area will 
be closed from November 1, 2001, through November 30, 2001, and Rolling 
Closure Area VI will be closed from January 1, 2002, through January 
31, 2002, to all fishing vessels, and to fishing gear capable of 
catching Northeast multispecies, except as provided under Sec.  
648.81(h)(2) and (g)(2).
    The coordinates of the closed areas are as follows:

                        Cashes Ledge Closure Area
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                     Point                        N. Lat.      W. Long.
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CL1                                              43 deg.07'   69 deg.02'
CL2                                             42 deg.49.5   68 deg.46'
                                                          '
CL3                                             42 deg.46.5  68 deg.50.5
                                                          '            '
CL4                                             42 deg.43.5  68 deg.58.5
                                                          '            '
CL5                                             42 deg.42.5  69 deg.17.5
                                                          '            '
CL6                                             42 deg.49.5   69 deg.26'
                                                          '
CL1                                              43 deg.07'   69 deg.02'
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                         Rolling Closure Area VI
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                     Point                        N. Lat.      W. Long.
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GM1                                              42 deg.00'          (2)
GM2                                              42 deg.00'          (3)
GM3                                              42 deg.00'          (4)
GM4                                              42 deg.00'   70 deg.00'
GM8                                              42 deg.30'   70 deg.00'
GM9                                              42 deg.30'          (2)
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(1) or other intersecting line: (2) Massachusetts shoreline (3) Cape Cod
  shoreline on Cape Cod Bay (4) Cape Cod shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean

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: September 12, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-23178 Filed 9-14-01; 8:45 am]
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