[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 28, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 44223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-18536]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XX57


Fisheries of the Northeast Region; South Atlantic Region

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

ACTION: Notification of determination of overfishing or an overfished 
condition.

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SUMMARY: This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the 
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has determined that in the Northeast 
Region, wolffish is in an overfished condition. In the South Atlantic 
Region, red grouper is subject to overfishing and is in an overfished 
condition.
    NMFS notifies the appropriate fishery management council (Council) 
whenever it determines that; overfishing is occurring, a stock is in an 
overfished condition, or a stock is approaching an overfished 
condition. If a Council has been notified that a stock is in an 
overfished condition the Council must, within 2 years, prepare and 
implement an FMP amendment or proposed regulations to rebuild the 
affected stock.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Nelson, (301) 713-2341.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to sections 304(e)(2) and (e)(7) of 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act), 16 U.S.C. 1854(e)(2) and (e)(7), and implementing 
regulations at 50 CFR 600.310(e)(2), NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary, 
notifies Councils whenever it determines; a stock or stock complex is 
approaching an overfished condition, a stock or stock complex is 
overfished, or existing action taken to prevent previously identified 
overfishing or rebuilding a previously identified overfished stock or 
stock complex has not resulted in adequate progress. NMFS also notifies 
Councils when it determines a stock or stock complex is subject to 
overfishing.
    For a fishery determined to be overfished or approaching an 
overfished condition, NMFS also requests that the appropriate Council, 
or the Secretary, for fisheries under section 302(a)(3) of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Act, take action to end or prevent overfishing in the 
fishery and to implement conservation and management measures to 
rebuild overfished stocks. Councils (or the Secretary) receiving 
notification that a fishery is overfished must, within 2 years of 
notification, implement a rebuilding plan, through an FMP Amendment or 
proposed regulations, which ends overfishing immediately and provides 
for rebuilding the fishery in accordance with 16 U.S.C. 1854(e)(3)-(4) 
as implemented by 50 CFR 600.310(j)(2)(ii). Councils receiving a notice 
that a fishery is approaching an overfished condition must prepare and 
implement, within two years, an FMP amendment or proposed regulations 
to prevent overfishing from occurring. When developing rebuilding plans 
Councils (or the Secretary), in addition to rebuilding the fishery 
within the shortest time possible in accordance with 16 U.S.C. 
1854(e)(4) and 50 CFR 600.310(j)(2)(ii), must ensure that such actions 
address the requirements to amend the FMP for each affected stock or 
stock complex to establish a mechanism for specifying and actually 
specify Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) and Accountability Measures (AMs) to 
prevent overfishing in accordance with 16 U.S.C. 1853(a)(15) and 50 CFR 
600.310(j)(2)(i).
    In January 2009, the Northeast Data Poor Stocks Working Group 
concluded that Atlantic wolffish was in an overfished condition but 
could not determine whether overfishing was occurring. The New England 
Fishery Management Council was alerted of this condition on February 6, 
2009. However, at that time Atlantic wolffish was not managed under any 
FMP. Effective with Amendment 16 to the NE Multispecies FMP, in May 
2010, wolffish was added as a fishery management unit species. 
Therefore, this gives public notice that wolffish is has been 
determined to be in an overfished condition and the overfishing status 
is unknown.
    On July 9, 2010, NMFS informed the South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council that based on the 2010 assessment of southern 
Atlantic coast stock of red grouper, that the stock is currently 
undergoing overfishing and that the stock is in an overfished 
condition. Prior to this assessment the previous determination was that 
overfishing was occurring but the overfished status was unknown.
    As noted above, within 2 years of notification of an overfished 
determination, the respective Council (or the Secretary) must adopt and 
implement a rebuilding plan, through an FMP Amendment or proposed 
implementing regulations, which ends overfishing immediately and 
provides for rebuilding of the stock. In addition, for the fisheries 
experiencing overfishing, the responsible Councils must propose, and 
NMFS must adopt, effective ACLs and AMs to end overfishing.

    Dated: July 22, 2010.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-18536 Filed 7-27-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S