[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 175 (Tuesday, September 9, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 52214-52216]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-20924]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 0808251151-81155-01]
RIN 0648-AX18


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery; Nomenclature Change to Rename the ``Haddock Rope 
Trawl'' the ``Ruhle Trawl''; Final Rule

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

ACTION: Final rule; nomenclature change.

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SUMMARY: NMFS changes the name of a previously approved trawl gear 
referred to as the ``Haddock Rope trawl'' to the ``Ruhle Trawl.'' The 
intent of this action is to recognize the effort of Captain Phil Ruhle, 
Sr., who was instrumental in the development of this gear.

DATES: September 9, 2008

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Technical Report ``Bycatch Reduction in the 
Directed Haddock Bottom Trawl Fishery'' and a diagram of the Ruhle 
Trawl may be obtained from NMFS at the following address: National 
Marine Fisheries Service, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930; 
telephone (978) 281-9315.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edward Stern, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9177, fax (978) 281-9135, e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At the request of the New England Fishery 
Management Council, NMFS published a final rule on July 14, 2008 (73 FR 
40186), with an effective date of August 13, 2008, that implemented new 
gear for use in the Regular B Days At Sea (DAS) Program and the Eastern 
U.S./Canada Haddock Special Access Program (SAP). The purpose of this 
new gear is to reduce discards under the Northeast (NE) Multispecies 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP). In the final rule, and in other 
documents relied on for the final rule, the new gear was referred to as 
the ``Haddock Rope Trawl'' or``Eliminator Trawl.'' A detailed 
description of the need for, and use of, additional types of trawl 
gear, and a description of the review process used to evaluate the 
gear's performance, can be found in the preamble of the proposed rule 
(73 FR 29098), published on May 20, 2008.

[[Page 52215]]

    In 2007, Captain Phil Ruhle, Sr., was recognized with David Beutel 
and Laura Scrobe from the University of Rhode Island, and fellow 
fishermen James O'Grady and Phil Ruhle, Jr., as the grand prize winners 
of the 2007 World Wildlife Fund's International Smart Gear Competition. 
The award credited Captain Ruhle and his team for designing the new 
trawl, then referred to as ``The Eliminator.'' The July 14, 2008, final 
rule approved this gear for limited use in Federal waters under the 
FMP. On July 23, 2008, Captain Phil Ruhle, Sr., perished when his 
fishing vessel, the F/V SEA BREEZE, capsized and sank in heavy seas off 
New Jersey. Renaming the new gear the Ruhle Trawl is to honor Captain 
Phil Ruhle, Sr., as a primary developer of this gear and an innovator 
in the fishing industry.

Classification

    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA) finds good 
cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior notice and the 
opportunity for public comment because it would be unnecessary. Because 
prior notice is not required, no Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (RFA) 
is required and one has not been prepared. The rule simply changes the 
name of the ``Haddock Rope Trawl'' to the ``Ruhle Trawl''. It has no 
effect on the gear or the manner in which it is fished. This rule is 
not anticipated to cause confusion in the fishery, nor will it require 
significant remarking of existing gear. This rule will not impact other 
regulations. The AA further finds pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) good 
cause to waive the thirty (30) day delayed effectiveness period for the 
reasons stated above. This nomenclature change is published pursuant to 
50 CFR part 648 and has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of Executive Order 12866.

    Dated: September 3, 2008.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator For Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.

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For the reasons set out in the preamble, NMFS amends 50 CFR part 648 as 
follows:

PART 648--FISHERIES OF THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

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1. The authority citation for part 648 continues to read as follows:

    Authority 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.


Sec. Sec.  648.2, 648.14, and 648.85  [Amended]

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2. In the table below, for each section in the left column, remove the 
name ``haddock rope trawl'' from wherever it appears throughout the 
section and add the name ``RuhleTrawl'' indicated in the right column 
for the number of times indicated.

 
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             Section                  Remove       Add       Frequency
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Sec.   648.2                       haddock      Ruhle     1
                                    rope trawl   Trawl
Sec.   648.14                      haddock      Ruhle     1
                                    rope trawl   Trawl
Sec.   648.85                      haddock      Ruhle     8
                                    rope trawl   Trawl
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3. Figure 1 to Part 648 is revised to read as follows:
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[FR Doc. E8-20924 Filed 9-8-08; 8:45 am]
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