[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 153 (Thursday, August 10, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 37359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-16850]



[[Page 37359]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 120109034-2171-01]
RIN 0648-XF471


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 2017 
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 from 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) to 400 lb (181 kg).

DATES: Effective August 7, 2017, through April 30, 2018.

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 
NMFS Regional Administrator, Greater Atlantic Region, to reduce the 
northern red hake possession limit from 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) to 400 lb 
(181 kg) when landings have been projected to reach or exceed 37.9 
percent of the total allowable landings (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 
(81 FR 41866; June 28, 2015) set the northern red hake inseason 
adjustment thresholds. Those thresholds were revised in the final rule 
implementing the 2017 northern red hake accountability measures (82 FR 
21477; May 9, 2017), which reduce the inseason possession limit 
reduction threshold from 62.5 percent to 37.9 percent of the TAL and 
removed an additional threshold at 45 percent. This trip limit 
adjustment threshold is an accountability measure implemented because 
the annual catch limits (ACL) for northern red hake were exceeded in 
fishing year 2015.

Inseason Action

    Using commercial landings data reported through August 3, 2017, the 
northern red hake fishery is projected to reach 37.9 percent of the TAL 
on August 7, 2017. Based on this projection, we are required to reduce 
the commercial northern red hake possession limit from 3,000 lb (1,361 
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, 2018).

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 4, 2017.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-16850 Filed 8-7-17; 4:15 pm]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P