[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 38 (Tuesday, February 27, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 8632]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3337]



[[Page 8632]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 061124307-7013-02; I.D. 112106A]
RIN 0648-AT65


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel, 
Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; Specifications and Management 
Measures; Correction

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

ACTION: Final rule; correction.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On January 30, 2007, NMFS published a final rule implementing 
2007 specifications and management measures for Atlantic mackerel, 
squid, and butterfish and modifying existing management measures. In 
the codified text of the final rule, there were errors in the 
description of the catch associated with the fishing mortality rate 
(F). Also, the acronyms used for F equal to the target F (F=0.12) and 
BMSY were published in the codified text without using 
standardized type production for these scientific terms. In the 
codified text for the procedures for closing the directed mackerel 
fishery NMFS inadvertently substituted the term ``executed'' for 
``exceeded'' when describing when the Regional Administrator will close 
the fishery. This document corrects those errors.

DATES: Effective March 1, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carrie Nordeen, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, 978-281-9272, fax 978-281-9135.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations implementing the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish 
Fisheries (FMP) appear at 50 CFR part 648, subpart B, and regulations 
governing foreign fishing appear at 50 CFR part 600, subpart F. The 
final rule published on January 30, 2007 (72 FR 4211) and corrected on 
February 7, 2007 (72 FR 5643) identified the annual amounts of the 
initial optimum yield, allowable biological catch (ABC), domestic 
annual harvest, and domestic annual processing, as well as, where 
applicable, the amounts for total allowable level of foreign fishing 
and joint venture processing for the affected species managed under the 
FMP. The final rule implementing the Atlantic mackerel, squid, and 
butterfish fisheries specifications for 2007 also contained 
modifications to existing regulatory language to clarify that the most 
recent information should be used when developing annual 
specifications.
    The regulatory text contained in Sec.  648.22(b)(2) describes the 
procedure for calculating mackerel's ABC using a formula ABC = T - C, 
where C is the estimated catch of mackerel in Canadian waters for the 
upcoming fishing year and T is the catch associated with a fishing 
mortality rate that is equal to Ftarget at BMSY 
or greater and decreases linearly to zero at ``1/2 BMSY'' or 
below. Values for ``Ftarget'' and ``BMSY'' are as 
calculated in the most recent stock assessment. The final rule 
describes the reference points and formula, but does not include any 
values. This approach makes it clearer that the values from the most 
recent stock assessment are to be used when calculating mackerel ABC.
    The codified text, Sec.  648.21(b)(2), published in the January 30, 
2007, final rule indicated that T is the catch associated with a 
fishing mortality rate that decreases linearly to zero at 
``BMSY'' rather than ``1/2 BMSY''. This document 
corrects that error in addition to making editorial corrections to the 
second sentence in this paragraph, which did not reflect the subscript 
normally used in the scientific terms ``BMSY'' and 
``FTARGET''. Therefore, this document corrects Sec.  
648.21(b)(2)(i) appearing on page 4217 (FR Doc. E7-1445), first column, 
first full paragraph, first two sentences, contained in the January 30, 
2007 Federal Register document.
    The final rule published January 30, 2007 (72 FR 4211) contained 
regulatory text, Sec.  648.22(a) describing when NMFS will close the 
directed mackerel fishing. When the Regional Administrator, Northeast 
Region, NMFS, projects that 80 percent of the mackerel DAH is landed, a 
closure is necessary to prevent the DAH from being exceeded. However, 
the codified text contained the phrase ``to prevent the DAH from being 
executed'' rather than ``exceeded''. This document corrects the 
codified text, Sec.  648.22(a) on page 4217 (FR Doc. E7-1445), column 
2, first sentence of paragraph (a)(1), contained in the January 30, 
2007 Federal Register final rule document.

Correction

0
Accordingly, the final rule published on January 30, 2007, at 72 FR 
4211 (FR Doc. E7-1445), to be effective March 1, 2007, is corrected as 
follows:
0
1. On page 4217, column 1, Sec.  648.21 (b)(2)(i) is correctly revised 
to read as follows:


Sec.  648.21  Procedures for determining initial annual amounts.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (2) * * *
    (i) Mackerel ABC must be calculated using the formula ABC = T - C, 
where C is the estimated catch of mackerel in Canadian waters for the 
upcoming fishing year and T is the catch associated with a fishing 
mortality rate that is equal to Ftarget at BMSY 
or greater and decreases linearly to zero at 1/2 BMSY or 
below. Values for Ftarget and BMSY are as 
calculated in the most recent stock assessment.
* * * * *


Sec.  648.22  [Corrected]

0
2. On page 4217, column 2, Sec.  648.22 (a)(1), in the seventh line, 
correctly revise ``executed'' to read ``exceeded''.

    Dated: February 22, 2007.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator For Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-3337 Filed 2-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S