[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 66 (Monday, April 7, 2003)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 16731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8396]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 021101264-3016-02; I.D. 032503A]
RIN 0648 AQ33


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Herring 
Fishery; 2003 Atlantic Herring Specifications; Clarification and 
Correction

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

ACTION: Notification and Clarification of Seasonal Allocation for Area 
1A for Atlantic Herring Specifications; correction.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, NMFS clarifies the measures in the final rule 
implementing the final specifications for the 2003 Atlantic herring 
fishery. In that final rule, NMFS listed the 2003 total allowable catch 
(TAC) of Atlantic herring for Area 1A. However, the two seasonal TACs 
for the area were inadvertently omitted. The intent of this 
notification is to announce the 2003 seasonal allocation of Atlantic 
herring in Area 1A and correct the Table reflecting the 2003 Atlantic 
Herring Specifications published in the Federal Register on February 6, 
2003.

DATES: The Atlantic herring specifications for fishing year 2003 
published February 6, 2003 (68 FR 6088) are corrected, effective April 
4, 2003, through December 31, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul H. Jones, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
978-281-9273, fax 978-281-9135, e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Need for Correction/Clarification

    Final specifications for the 2003 Atlantic herring fishery were 
published on February 6, 2003 (68 FR 6088). In the rule, the preamble 
contained a table showing the Area TACs for the 2003 Atlantic herring 
fishery. However, the table inadvertently omitted the listing of the 
Area 1A TAC into two seasonal quotas. The final rule implementing 
Framework 1 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan required 
annual specification of herring quotas into two seasonal fishing 
periods for Management Area 1A (January - May, and June - December). In 
the preamble of both the proposed specifications for the 2003 Atlantic 
herring fishery, published on November 15, 2002 (67 FR 69181), and the 
final specifications, the rules stated that there were only two changes 
from the specifications approved by NMFS for the 2002 fishery: A 
transfer of 10,000 mt from the Area 2 TAC reserve to the Area 3 TAC, 
resulting in an Area 3 TAC of 60,000 mt and an Area 2 TAC reserve of 
70,000 mt; and a restriction on U.S. at-sea processing vessels to fish 
in Areas 2 and 3, only. Omitting the two seasonal quotas for Area 1A 
was not a change from the 2002 specifications.
    Accordingly, in rule, FR Doc. 03-2798 published on February 6, 
2003, on page 6089, in the first and second columns, the final 
specifications for the 2003 Atlantic herring fishery are corrected to 
read as follows, with specific reference to the seasonal quota 
allocation for Area 1A:

Final Specifications and Area TACs for the 2003 Atlantic Herring Fishery
------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Specification                    Final Allocation (mt)
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ABC                                                              300,000
OY                                                               250,000
DAH                                                              250,000
DAP                                                              226,000
JVPt                                                              20,000
JVP                                                               10,000
                                                     (Area 2 and 3 only)
IWP                                                               10,000
USAP                                                              20,000
                                                     (Area 2 and 3 only)
BT                                                                 4,000
TALFF                                                                  0
Reserve                                                                0
TAC-Area 1A                                                       60,000
                                                 January 1, 2003-May 31,
                                                   2003, landings cannot
                                                            exceed 6,000
TAC-Area 1B                                                       10,000
TAC-Area 2                                                        50,000
                                                   (TAC reserve: 70,000)
TAC-Area 3                                                        60,000
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    This action is being taken pursuant to 50 CFR 648.200 and 648.202.

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

    Dated: April 1, 2003.
John Oliver,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-8396 Filed 4-4-03; 8:45 am]
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