[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2003)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 26510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12299]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 000407096-0096-01; I.D. 051203A]


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: Removal of haddock daily trip limit.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator) is suspending the haddock daily trip limit for 
the groundfish fishery for the remainder of the 2003 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 
2003 fishing year under the restrictive daily trip limits. This action 
is intended to allow fishermen to catch the haddock TAC, without 
exceeding it.

DATES: Effective May 13, 2003 through April 30, 2004.

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 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.
    Based on the March, 2002, ``Final Report of the Working Group on 
Re-Evaluation of Biological Reference Points for New England 
Groundfish,'' (Report) the appropriate Georges Bank haddock target TAC 
for the 2002 fishing year was estimated to be 17,337 mt. A subsequent 
assessment of Georges Bank haddock by the Groundfish Assessment Review 
Meeting (GARM, October 2002) calculated a stock size similar to that 
noted in the March, 2002, Report. Therefore, the target TAC for the 
2003 fishing year remains at 17,337 mt. Based on recent historical 
fishing practices, the Regional Administrator has projected that less 
than 75 percent of the haddock target TAC for the 2003 fishing year 
will be harvested by April 30, 2004, and has therefore determined that 
suspending the 3,000-lb (1,360.8-kg) and 5,000-lb (2,268-kg) daily 
haddock trip limits through April 30, 2004, while retaining the 
associated 30,000-lb (13,608-kg) and 50,000-lb (22,680-kg) per trip 
possession limits for May 1 through September 30, 2003, and October 1 
through April 30, 2004, respectively, will provide the industry with 
the opportunity to harvest the target TAC for the 2003 fishing year. In 
order to prevent the TAC from being exceeded, the Regional 
Administrator may adjust this possession limit again through 
publication of a notification in the Federal Register, pursuant to 
Sec.  648.86(a)(1)(iii).

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: May 12, 2003.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-12299 Filed 5-13-03; 2:38 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S