[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 18, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 2820-2821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-926]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 040112010-4114-02; I.D.011105I]


Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery; Re-opening of the Eastern 
U.S./Canada Area; and Removal of Daily Poundage Limits for Yellowtail 
Flounder in the U.S./Canada Management Area, and Cod in the Eastern 
U.S./Canada Area

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

ACTION: Re-opening and removal of daily poundage limits.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator), is re-opening the Eastern U.S./Canada Area to 
all limited access NE multispecies days-at-sea (DAS) vessels and is 
removing the prohibition on all NE multispecies limited access vessels 
from harvesting, possessing, or landing Georges Bank (GB) yellowtail 
flounder from within the entire U.S./Canada Management Area. This 
action also removes the yellowtail flounder and cod daily poundage 
limits for the entire U.S./Canada Management Area and Eastern U.S./
Canada Area, respectively, but retains the 15,000 lb (6,804 kg) trip 
limit for GB yellowtail flounder and a 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) trip limit 
for GB cod, consistent with ensuring that the Total Allowable Catches 
(TACs) for these species will not be exceeded by the end of the 2004 
fishing year.

DATES: Effective 0001 hr local time, January 14, 2005, through 2400 hr 
local time April 30, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Tasker, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9273, fax (978) 281-9135.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the yellowtail 
flounder and cod landing limits within the U.S./Canada Management Area 
are found at 50 CFR 648.85(a)(3)(iv). The regulations authorize vessels 
issued a valid limited access NE multispecies permit and fishing under 
a NE multispecies DAS to fish in the U.S./Canada Management Area under 
specific conditions. The TAC allocation for GB yellowtail flounder for 
the 2004 fishing year was specified at 6,000 mt in the final rule 
implementing Amendment 13 to the NE Multispecies Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP). Once 30 percent and/or 60 percent of the yellowtail 
flounder TAC allocations specified for the U.S./Canada Management Area 
are projected to have been harvested, the regulations at Sec.  
648.85(a)(3)(iv)(D) authorize the Regional Administrator to close 
access to the Eastern U.S./Canada Area to all limited access NE 
multispecies DAS vessels and prohibit all NE multispecies limited 
access vessels from harvesting, possessing, or landing GB yellowtail 
flounder from the entire U.S./Canada Management Area to prevent 
overharvesting or underharvesting the yellowtail flounder TAC 
allocation.
    Based upon Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) reports and other 
available information, the Regional Administrator determined that 85 
percent of the GB yellowtail flounder TAC had been harvested by October 
1, 2004 (69 FR 59815, October 6, 2004). NMFS closed the Eastern U.S./
Canada Area, effective October 1, 2004, to all NE multispecies DAS 
vessels and prohibited all NE multispecies vessels from harvesting, 
possessing, or landing GB yellowtail flounder from the U.S./Canada 
Management Area, because of concerns that the yellowtail flounder TAC 
would be fully harvested or overharvested prior to the end of the 
fishing year. Full harvest or overharvest of the TAC was anticipated 
due to the amount of yellowtail flounder harvested by vessels targeting 
yellowtail flounder in the U.S./Canada Management Area, and because of 
concerns regarding expected yellowtail flounder bycatch by vessels 
targeting groundfish other than yellowtail flounder within the U.S./
Canada Management Area. Additional concern was raised by the potential 
impact that may be caused by scallop vessels fishing in Closed Area II 
under the Sea Scallop Access Program implemented under Frameworks 16/39 
to the Atlantic Sea Scallop/NE Multispecies FMPs. Because of these 
potential sources of yellowtail flounder harvest, this action was 
necessary to ensure that the GB yellowtail flounder TAC would not be 
exceeded during the 2004 fishing year.
    At this time, data indicate that the amount of GB yellowtail 
flounder harvested under the Sea Scallop Access Program and the amount 
of GB yellowtail flounder bycatch caught by

[[Page 2821]]

vessels targeting groundfish other than yellowtail flounder within the 
U.S./Canada Management Area will likely not result in the overharvest 
of the TAC. Therefore, under the authority of Sec.  
648.85(a)(3)(iv)(D), NMFS is re-opening the U.S./Canada Management Area 
to NE multispecies DAS vessels, and removing the prohibition on the 
harvest, possession, and landing of GB yellowtail flounder by all NE 
multispecies vessels within the entire U.S./Canada Management Area, 
effective January 14, 2005. In addition, this action removes the 
previous daily poundage limits for GB yellowtail flounder and GB cod 
for the entire U.S./Canada Management Area and the Eastern U.S./Canada 
Area, respectively, and reinstates the 15,000 lb (6,804 kg) and 5,000 
lb (2,268 kg) trip limit for GB yellowtail flounder and GB cod, 
respectively, consistent with ensuring that the TACs for these species 
will not be exceeded by the end of the 2004 fishing year. Removal of 
the daily poundage limits for these species provides flexibility to the 
fishing industry by allowing vessels that may need to end their trip 
prematurely due to an unexpected event, such as poor weather 
conditions, with the ability to retain their catch onboard when 
entering port (catches of species with daily poundage caps must be 
offloaded when a vessel enters port). The overall trip limits will help 
ensure that the mortality goals of the FMP are met. Additionally, trawl 
vessels fishing in the Eastern U.S./Canada Area may only fish with a 
haddock separator net, as described in Sec.  648.85(a)(3)(iii)(A), for 
the purposes of reducing bycatch of both GB cod and GB yellowtail 
flounder to allow greater access to the remaining GB haddock TAC for 
the rest of the fishing year.
    Yellowtail flounder landings will be closely monitored through VMS 
and other available information and, once 100 percent of the TAC 
allocation for GB yellowtail flounder is projected to be harvested, the 
Eastern U.S./Canada Area will be closed to NE multispecies DAS vessels 
and the harvesting, possession, and landing of yellowtail flounder by 
NE multispecies vessels in the U.S./Canada Management Area will be 
prohibited, in accordance with the regulations Sec.  
648.85(a)(3)(iv)(C)(3).

Classification

    This action re-opens the Eastern U.S./Canada Area to the harvest of 
GB yellowtail flounder, and essentially restores access to this area 
with similar restrictions before the closure by removing a prohibition 
on the possession of GB yellowtail flounder in the U.S./Canada 
Management Area in order to allow vessels to fully harvest the TAC of 
GB yellowtail flounder. If implementation of this action is delayed, 
NMFS could be prevented from permitting the full harvest of the GB 
yellowtail flounder stock, GB cod, and GB haddock TACs. The directed 
harvest of the GB yellowtail flounder stock began on May 1, 2004, and 
additional fishing opportunity on the stock was provided as of June 1, 
2004, with the opening of the Closed Area II Yellowtail Flounder 
Special Access Program (SAP). If a proposed rule for this action, or 
delay in effectiveness were required, access to the Eastern U.S./Canada 
Area, as well as the ability to harvest yellowtail flounder from within 
the entire U.S./Canada Management Area, would be delayed and would 
create an unnecessary burden on the industry. For the above reason, 
under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3), proposed rulemaking is not necessary because 
it would be contrary to the public interest. Furthermore, because this 
rule relieves a restriction, there is good cause under 5 U.S.C 
553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delayed effectiveness period for this 
action.
    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: January 12, 2005.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-926 Filed 1-12-05; 4:30 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S