[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 158 (Tuesday, August 16, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 54518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19503]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 120109034-2171-01]
RIN 0648-XE787


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Small-Mesh 
Multispecies Fishery; Adjustment to the Northern Red Hake Inseason 
Possession Limit

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason adjustment.

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SUMMARY: We announce the reduction of the commercial per-trip 
possession limit for northern red hake for the remainder of the 2016 
fishing year. This action is required to prevent the northern red hake 
total allowable landing limit from being exceeded. This announcement 
informs the public that the northern red hake possession limit is 
reduced.

DATES: Effective August 16, 2016, through April 30, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reid Lichwell, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-675-9112.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Regulations governing the red hake fishery are found at 50 CFR part 
648. The small-mesh multispecies fishery is managed primarily through a 
series of exemptions from the Northeast Multispecies Fisheries 
Management Plan. The regulations describing the process to adjust 
inseason commercial possession limits of northern red hake are 
described in Sec.  648.86(d)(4) and (5). These regulations require the 
National Marine Fisheries Service Regional Administrator, Greater 
Atlantic Region, to reduce the northern red hake possession limit from 
3,000 lb (1,361 kg) to 1,500 lb (680 kg) when landings have been 
projected to reach or exceed 45 percent of the total allowable landings 
(TAL). The possession limit is required to be further reduced from 
1,500 lb (680 kg) to 400 lb (181 kg) if landings are projected to reach 
or exceed 62.5 percent of the TAL, unless such a reduction would be 
expected to prevent the TAL from being reached. The final rule 
implementing the small-mesh multispecies specifications for 2016-2017, 
which published in the Federal Register on June 28, 2016 (81 FR 41866), 
set these inseason adjustment thresholds for the 2016 fishing year. 
These trip limit adjustment thresholds are accountability measures put 
in place because the annual catch limits (ACL) for northern red hake 
were exceeded for the 2012 and 2013 fishing years, and the northern red 
hake stock was experiencing overfishing.

Inseason Action

    On August 8, 2016, the northern red hake commercial possession 
limit was reduced from 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) to 1,500 lb (680 kg) because 
the overall commercial landings reached 45 percent of the TAL. Based on 
commercial landings data reported through July 27, 2016, the northern 
red hake fishery is projected to reach 65.2 percent of the TAL on 
August 6, 2016. Based on this projection, we are required to reduce the 
commercial northern red hake possession limit from 1,500 lb (680 kg) to 
400 lb (181 kg) to prevent the TAL from being exceeded. On the 
effective date of this action, no person may possess on board or land 
more than 400 lb (181 kg) of northern red hake per trip for the 
remainder of the fishing year (i.e., through April 30, 2017).

Classification

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

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

    Dated: August 11, 2016.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-19503 Filed 8-15-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P