[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 215 (Tuesday, November 6, 2001)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 56041-56042]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-27822]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 010220043-1132-1132; I.D. 103101A]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Herring 
Fishery; Total Allowable Catch Harvested for Management Area 1A

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

ACTION: Closure of directed fishery for Management Area 1A.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that 95 percent of the Atlantic herring total 
allowable catch (TAC) allocated to Management Area 1A (Area 1A) for the 
fishing year 2001 has been harvested. Therefore, federally permitted 
vessels may not fish for, catch, possess, transfer or land more than 
2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of Atlantic herring harvested from Area 1A per trip 
or calendar day for the remainder of the 2001 fishery (through December 
31, 2001). Regulations governing the Atlantic herring fishery require 
publication of this notification when 95 percent of the Atlantic 
herring TAC allocated to Area 1A has been harvested to advise vessel 
and dealer permit holders that no TAC is available for the directed 
fishery for Atlantic herring harvested from Area 1A.

DATES: Effective 0001 hrs local time, November 10, 2001, through 2400 
hrs local time, December 31, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David M. Gouveia, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, at (978) 281-9280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the Atlantic herring 
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual 
specification of optimum yield, domestic and foreign fishing, domestic 
and joint venture processing, and management area TACs. The 
specifications are allocated on an annual basis from January through 
December. The TAC allocated to Area 1A for the Atlantic herring fishery 
for the 2001 fishing year was 60,000 mt (66 FR 28846, May 25, 2001).
    The regulations at 50 CFR 648.202 require the Administrator, 
Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) to monitor the Atlantic 
herring fishery in each of the four management areas designated in the 
FMP and, based upon dealer reports, state data, and other

[[Page 56042]]

available information, to determine when the harvest of Atlantic 
herring is projected to reach 95 percent of the TAC allocated to that 
area. When such a determination is made, NMFS is required to publish 
notification in the Federal Register advising and notifying vessel and 
dealer permit holders that, effective upon a specific date, vessels may 
not fish for, catch, possess, transfer or land more than 2,000 lb 
(907.2 kg) of herring per trip or calendar day from the specified 
management area for the remainder of the fishing year.
    The Regional Administrator has determined, based upon dealer 
reports and other available information, that 95 percent of the 
Atlantic herring TAC allocated to Area 1A for the fishing year 2001 has 
been harvested. Therefore, effective 0001 hrs local time, November 10, 
2001, federally permitted vessels may not fish for, catch, possess, 
transfer or land more than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of Atlantic herring 
harvested from Area 1A per trip or calendar day for the remainder of 
the 2001 fishery, through December 31, 2001, 2400 hrs local time. The 
fishing year 2002 TAC for the directed Atlantic herring fishery will 
open on January 1, 2002. Vessels may transit an area that is limited to 
the 2,000-lb (907.2-kg) limit with greater than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of 
herring on board, providing all fishing gear is stowed and not 
available for immediate use as required by Sec. 648.23 (b). A vessel 
may land in an area that is limited to the 2,000-lb (907.2-kg) limit 
specified in Sec. 648.202(a) with greater than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of 
herring on board, providing such herring were caught in an area or 
areas not subject to the 2,000-lb (907.2-kg) limit and providing all 
fishing gear is stowed and not available for immediate use as required 
by Sec. 648.23 (b). Effective November 10, 2001, federally permitted 
dealers are also advised that they may not purchase Atlantic herring 
from federally permitted Atlantic herring vessels that harvest more 
than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of Atlantic herring from Area 1A through 
December 31, 2001, 2400 hrs local time.

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 31, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-27822 Filed 11-1-01; 3:13 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S