[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 29 (Monday, February 13, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 7443-7444]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-1305]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 051209329-5329-01; I.D. 020306B]


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 13, 2006. 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, 
2006). 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 13, 2006, through 2400 hours, 
March 31, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Frei, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9221, 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 2005 annual quota for 
Loligo squid was 16,744.9 mt, with 5,564.3 mt allocated to Quarter I 
(70 FR 13406, March 21,2005).
    The allowable biological catch in 2006 is not proposed to change 
from the 2005 value, but because the proposed 2006 Research Set-Aside 
(RSA) is greater than the 2005 RSA allocation, the initial optimum 
yield and the individual quarterly quotas are minimally different. The 
proposed rule for the 2006 annual specifications published on December 
27, 2005 (70 FR 76436), with a comment period that ended January 11, 
2006. The proposed 2006 annual quota for Loligo squid is 16,872.50 mt. 
This amount is proposed to be allocated by quarter, as shown below.

              Table. 1 Loligo Squid Quarterly Allocations.
 
                                                  Metric       Research
             Quarter                Percent       Tons\1\     Set-aside
 
I (Jan-Mar)                       33.23        5,606.70      N/A
II (Apr-Jun)                      17.61        2,971.30      N/A
III (Jul-Sep)                     17.3         2,918.90      N/A
IV (Oct-Dec)                      31.86        5,375.60      N/A
Total                             100          16,872.50     127.5
 
\1\Quarterly allocations after 127.5 mt research set-aside deduction.

    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 13, 2006, 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, 2006, when the Quarter II quota becomes available.

[[Page 7444]]

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 7, 2006.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 06-1305 Filed 2-8-06; 2:02 pm]
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