[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 183 (Tuesday, September 22, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 57104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-24013]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 900124-0127]
RIN 0648-XE164


Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries; 2016 Fishing Quotas 
for Atlantic Surfclams and Ocean Quahogs; and Suspension of Minimum 
Atlantic Surfclam Size Limit

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

ACTION: Temporary rule.

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

SUMMARY: NMFS suspends the minimum size limit for Atlantic surfclams 
for the 2016 fishing year. NMFS also announces that the quotas for the 
Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries for 2016 will remain 
status quo. Regulations governing these fisheries require NMFS to 
notify the public of the allowable harvest levels for Atlantic 
surfclams and ocean quahogs from the Exclusive Economic Zone if the 
previous year's quota specifications remain unchanged.

DATES: Effective January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Potts, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
978-281-9341.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations implementing the fishery 
management plan (FMP) for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog 
fisheries at 50 CFR 648.75(b)(3) authorize the Administrator, Greater 
Atlantic Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), to suspend annually, by 
publication of a notification in the Federal Register, the minimum size 
limit for Atlantic surfclams. This action may be taken unless discard, 
catch, and biological sampling data indicate that 30 percent or more of 
the Atlantic surfclam resource have a shell length less than 4.75 
inches (120 mm), and the overall reduced size is not attributable to 
harvest from beds where growth of the individual clams has been reduced 
because of density-dependent factors.
    At its June 2015 meeting, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council voted to recommend that the Regional Administrator suspend the 
minimum size limit for Atlantic surfclams for the 2016 fishing year. 
Commercial surfclam data for 2015 were analyzed to determine the 
percentage of surfclams that were smaller than the minimum size 
requirement. The analysis indicated that 19.2 percent of the overall 
commercial landings were composed of surfclams that were less than the 
4.75-in (120-mm) default minimum size. While still below the 30-percent 
trigger, this is a higher percentage of small clams than we have seen 
in previous years. A new stock assessment is planned for 2016, and may 
provide additional information about the health of this stock and 
whether density-dependent factors may have contributed to the increased 
prevalence of small clams. Based on the information available, the 
Regional Administrator concurs with the Council's recommendation, and 
is suspending the minimum size limit for Atlantic surfclams in the 
upcoming fishing year (January 1 through December 31, 2016).
    The FMP for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries 
requires that NMFS issue a notice in the Federal Register of the 
upcoming year's quota, even in cases where the quota remains unchanged 
from the previous year. At its June 2015 meeting, the Council voted 
that no action be taken to change the quota specifications for Atlantic 
surfclams and ocean quahogs for the 2016 fishing year. As a result, we 
are announcing that the 2015 quota levels of 3.4 million bu (181 
million L) for Atlantic surfclams, 5.3 million bu (284 million L) for 
ocean quahogs, and 100,000 Maine bu (3.524 million L) for Maine ocean 
quahogs, as announced in the Federal Register on December 20, 2013 (78 
FR 77005), remain effective for the 2016 fishing year.

Classification

    This action is authorized by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from 
review under Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: September 17, 2015.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-24013 Filed 9-21-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P