[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 51 (Monday, March 17, 2003)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 12612-12613]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6304]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 000407096-0096-01; I.D. 031003B]


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

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

ACTION:  Notice of removal of haddock trip limit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY:  NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator) is suspending the haddock trip limit for the 
groundfish fishery for the remainder of the 2002 fishing year. The 
Regional Administrator has projected that less than 75 percent of the 
haddock target total allowable catch (TAC) will be harvested for the 
2002 fishing year under the restrictive trip limits. This action is 
intended to allow fishermen to catch more of the haddock TAC, without 
exceeding it. Therefore, this action removes the haddock trip limit for 
the remainder of the 2002 fishing year.

DATES:  Effective March 17, 2003 through April 30, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Susan Chinn, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9218.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Framework Adjustment 33 to the NE 
Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, which became effective May 1, 
2000, implemented the current haddock trip limit regulations (65 FR 
21658, April 24, 2000). To ensure that haddock landings do not exceed 
the appropriate target TAC, Framework 33 established a haddock trip 
limit of 3,000 lb (1,360.8 kg) per NE Multispecies day-at-sea (DAS) 
fished and a maximum trip limit of 30,000 lb (13,608 kg) of haddock for 
the period May 1 through September 30; and 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) of 
haddock per DAS and 50,000 lb (22,680 kg) per trip

[[Page 12613]]

from October 1 through April 30. Framework 33 also provided a mechanism 
to adjust the haddock trip limit based upon the percentage of TAC that 
is projected to be harvested. Section 648.86(a)(1)(iii)(B) specifies 
that, if the Regional Administrator projects that less than 75 percent 
of the haddock target TAC will be harvested in the fishing year, the 
trip limit may be adjusted. Further, this section stipulates that NMFS 
will publish notification in the Federal Register informing the public 
of the date of any changes to the trip limit.
    The Regional Administrator has projected that, for fishing year 
2002, Georges Bank haddock landings are estimated to be about 
16,209,000 lb (7,352 mt), accounting for about 63 percent of the 
assumed target TAC (11,680 mt). Based on the March 2002 ``Final Report 
of the Working Group on Re-Evaluation of Biological Reference Points 
for New England Groundfish,'' the projected Georges Bank haddock target 
TAC for the 2002 fishing year is 17,337 mt (based on an average of the 
target TAC for the 2002 and 2003 calendar years). The projected 2002 
landings for Georges Bank haddock with the trip limits in effect would 
use only about 42 percent of the target TAC (17,337 mt). Given that 
under current management measures less than 75 percent of the 2002 
fishing year haddock target TAC is projected to be harvested by April 
30, 2003, the Regional Administrator has determined that suspending the 
haddock trip possession limits will provide the industry with the 
opportunity to harvest at least 75 percent of the TAC for the 2002 
fishing year.

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: March 12, 2003
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-6304 Filed 3-12-03; 3:06 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S