[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 71 (Friday, April 13, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 18594]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1824]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

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


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel, 
Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; Closure of the Trimester 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, 
April 13, 2007. 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 trimester (through April 30, 2007). 
This action is necessary to prevent the fishery from exceeding its 
Trimester I quota and to allow for effective management of this stock.

DATES:  Effective 0001 hours, April 13, 2007, through 2400 hours, April 
30, 2007.

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 2007 specification of DAH for Loligo squid was set at 16,872.4 
mt (72 FR 4211, January 30, 2007). This amount is allocated by 
trimester, as shown below.

                                  Table. 1 Loligo Squid Trimester Allocations.
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                                                                                                    Research Set-
                             Quarter                                  Percent     Metric Tons \1\    aside (mt)
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I (Jan-Apr)                                                              43.00           7,090.70           N/A
II (May-Aug)                                                             17.00           2,803.30           N/A
III (Sep-Dec)                                                            40.00           6,596.00           N/A
Total                                                                      100          16,490.00           510
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\1\Trimester allocations after 510-mt research set-aside deduction.

    Section 648.22 requires NMFS to close the directed Loligo squid 
fishery in the EEZ when 90 percent of the trimester allocation is 
harvested in Trimester I, II, and when 95 percent of the total annual 
DAH has been harvested in Trimester III. 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 hr 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 90 percent 
of the DAH for Loligo squid in Trimester I will be harvested. 
Therefore, effective 0001 hours, April 13, 2007, 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, May 1, 2007, when the Trimester 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: April 09, 2007.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office Of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 07-1824 Filed 4-9-07; 3:14 pm]
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