[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 230 (Friday, November 29, 2002)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 71111-71112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-30228]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No.011005245-2012-02; I.D. 112202A]


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 
fishing year 2002 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 until January 1, 2003, when the 2003 TAC becomes 
available. Regulations governing the Atlantic herring fishery require 
publication of this notification to advise vessel and dealer permit 
holders that 95 percent of the Atlantic herring TAC allocated to Area 
1A has been harvested, and no TAC is available for the directed fishery 
for Atlantic herring harvested from Area 1A.

DATES: Effective 0001 hrs local time, December 1, 2002, through 2400 
hrs local time, December 31, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Frei, Fisheries Management 
Specialist, at (978) 281-9221.

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 2002 TAC 
allocated to Area 1A for the fishing year is 60,000 mt (132,277,357 
lb). The TAC is further allocated into a period 1 TAC of 6,000 mt 
(13,227,735 lb), a period 2 TAC of 54,000 mt (119,049,621 lb), with 
period 1 spanning January 1 - May 31; and period 2, June 1 - December 
31. (67 FR 3442, January 24, 2002)
    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 
Fishery Management Plan for the Atlantic Herring Fishery and, based 
upon dealer reports, state data, and other available information, to 
determine when the harvest of Atlantic herring is projected to reach 95 
percent of the TAC allocated. When such a determination is made, NMFS 
is required to publish notification in the Federal Register 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 determined that 95 percent of the Period 
1 TAC allocated to Area 1A was harvested on April 26, 2002, and the 
directed fishery was closed for the remainder of the quota period 1 (67 
FR 20056, April 24, 2002).
    The Regional Administrator has determined, based upon dealer 
reports and other available information, that 95 percent of the total 
Atlantic herring TAC allocated to Area 1A for fishing year 2002 has 
been harvested. Therefore, effective 0001 hrs local time, December 1, 
2002, 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 until the Period 1 TAC 
becomes available at 0001 hrs, January 1, 2003. Vessels may transit an 
area that is limited to the 2,000-lb (907.2-kg) limit with more than 
2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of herring on board, provided all fishing gear is 
stowed and not available for immediate use, as required by Sec.  
648.23(b). A vessel may land herring in an area that is limited to the 
2,000-lb (907.2-kg) limit specified in Sec.  648.202(a) with more than 
2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of herring on board, provided such herring were 
caught in an area or areas not subject to the 2,000-lb (907.2-kg) limit 
and provided all fishing gear is stowed and not available for immediate 
use as required by Sec.  648.23(b). Effective December 1, 2002, 
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 January 1, 2003, 0001 hrs local time.

Classification

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

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


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    Dated: November 22, 2002.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-30228 Filed 11-25-02; 4:34 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S