[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 22, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 8543-8544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-3225]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 041221358-4358-01; I.D. 021405B]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel, 
Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; Closure of the Quarter I Fishery for 
Loligo Squid

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

ACTION: Closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the directed fishery for Loligo squid in 
the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) will be closed effective 0001 hours, 
February 20, 2005. Vessels issued a Federal permit to harvest Loligo 
squid may not retain or land more than 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) of Loligo 
squid per trip for the remainder of the quarter (through March 31, 
2005). This action is necessary to prevent the fishery from exceeding 
its Quarter I quota and to allow for effective management of this 
stock.

DATES: Effective 0001 hours, February 20, 2005, through 2400 hours, 
March 31, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jason Blackburn, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9326, Fax 978-281-9135.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the Loligo squid 
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require 
specifications for maximum sustainable yield, initial optimum yield, 
allowable biological catch, domestic annual harvest (DAH), domestic 
annual processing, joint venture processing, and total allowable levels 
of foreign fishing for the species managed under the Atlantic Mackerel, 
Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. The procedures for 
setting the annual initial specifications are described in Sec.  
648.21.
    The regulations at Sec.  648.21(d)(1) allow for the previous year's 
annual specifications to remain in effect if the annual specifications 
for the new fishing year are not published in the Federal Register 
prior to the start of the fishing year. The 2004 annual quota for 
Loligo squid was 16,872.4 mt, with 5,606.7 mt allocated to Quarter I 
(69 FR 4861, February 2, 2004).
    The annual quota in 2005 is not proposed to change from the 2004 
value, but because the proposed 2005 Research Set-Aside (RSA) is 
greater than the 2004 RSA allocation, the individual Quarterly quotas 
are minimally different. The proposed rule for the 2005 annual 
specifications published on January 10, 2005 (70 FR 1686), with a 
comment period open through February 9, 2005. The proposed 2005 annual 
quota for Loligo squid is 16,744.9 mt. This amount is proposed to be 
allocated by quarter, as shown below.

                                  Table 1.--Loligo Squid Quarterly Allocations.
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                         Quarter                               Percent       Metric Tons\1\   Research Set-aside
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                  I (Jan-Mar)                                        33.23           5,564.3                 N/A
                  II(Apr-Jun)                                        17.61           2,948.8                 N/A
                  III(Jul-Sep)                                        17.3           2,896.9                 N/A
                  IV(Oct-Dec)                                        31.86           5,334.9                 N/A
                  Total                                                100          16,744.9               255.1
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\1\Quarterly allocations after 255.1 mt research set-aside deduction.


[[Page 8544]]

    Section 648.22 requires NMFS to close the directed Loligo squid 
fishery in the EEZ when 80 percent of the quarterly allocation is 
harvested in Quarters I, II, and III, and when 95 percent of the total 
annual DAH has been harvested. NMFS is further required to notify, in 
advance of the closure, the Executive Directors of the Mid-Atlantic, 
New England, and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils; mail 
notification of the closure to all holders of Loligo squid permits at 
least 72 hours before the effective date of the closure; provide 
adequate notice of the closure to recreational participants in the 
fishery; and publish notification of the closure in the Federal 
Register. The Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS, based on dealer 
reports and other available information, has determined that 80 percent 
of the DAH for Loligo squid in Quarter I will be harvested. Therefore, 
effective 0001 hours, February 20, 2005, the directed fishery for 
Loligo squid is closed and vessels issued Federal permits for Loligo 
squid may not retain or land more than 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) of Loligo 
during a calendar day. The directed fishery will reopen effective 0001 
hours, April 1, 2005, when the Quarter II quota becomes available.

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: February 14, 2005.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-3225 Filed 2-15-05; 2:56 pm]
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