[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 111 (Tuesday, June 9, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 35209-35210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12468]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No: 200428-0122; RTID 0648-XX043]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Herring 
Fishery; 2020 Management Area 3 Sub-Annual Catch Limit Harvested

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the directed fishery for Herring Management 
Area 3. This closure is required because NMFS projects that 92 percent 
of the catch amount for Management Area 3 has been caught. This action 
is intended to prevent overharvest of Atlantic herring in Management 
Area 3, which will result in additional quota reductions next year.

DATES: Effective 00:01 hr local time, June 6, 2020, through December 
31, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Aly Pitts, Fishery Management 
Specialist, and (978) 281-9352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Regional Administrator of the Greater 
Atlantic Regional Office monitors Atlantic herring fishery catch in 
each of the management areas based on vessel and dealer reports, state 
data, and other available information. The regulations at 50 CFR 
648.201 require that when Atlantic herring catch will reach 92 percent 
of the Management Area 3 sub-annual catch limit (sub-ACL), federally 
permitted vessels are prohibited from fishing for, possessing, 
transferring, receiving, landing, or selling more than 2,000 lb (907.2 
kg) of Atlantic herring per trip or calendar day in or from the 
specified management area.
    The Regional Administrator has projected, based on vessel and 
dealer reports, and other available information, that the Atlantic 
herring fleet will have caught 92 percent of the Management Area 3 sub-
ACL by June 6, 2020. Therefore, effective 00:01 hr local time, June 6, 
2020, vessels may not fish for, possess, transfer, receive, land, or 
sell more than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of Atlantic herring per trip or 
calendar day, in or from Management Area 3, through December 31, 2020. 
Vessels that have entered port before 00:01 hr local time, June 6, 
2020, may land and sell more

[[Page 35210]]

than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of Atlantic herring from Area 3 from that 
trip. A vessel may transit through Area 3 with more than 2,000 lb 
(907.2 kg) of Atlantic herring on board, provided all herring was 
caught outside of Area 3 and all fishing gear is stowed and not 
available for immediate use as defined by Sec.  648.2.
    Effective 00:01 hr local time, June 6, 2020, through 24:00 hr local 
time, December 31, 2020, federally permitted dealers may not purchase, 
possess, receive, sell, barter, trade or transfer more than 2,000 lb 
(907.2 kg) of Atlantic herring per trip or calendar day from Area 3 
from a vessel issued and holding a valid Federal herring permit, unless 
it is from a trip landed by a vessel that entered port before 00:01 hr 
local time, June 6, 2020.

Classification

    This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from 
review under Executive Order 12866.
    NMFS finds good cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B) to waive 
prior notice and the opportunity for public comment because it would be 
contrary to the public interest and impracticable. NMFS also finds good 
cause to waive the 30-day delayed effectiveness in accordance with 5 
U.S.C 553(d)(3). NMFS is required by Federal regulation to implement a 
2,000-lb (907.2-kg) Atlantic herring possession limit for Management 
Area 3 through the calendar year when 92 percent of the area quota is 
projected to be harvested. The 2020 Atlantic herring fishing year began 
on January 1, 2020. Data indicating the Atlantic herring fleet will 
have landed at least 92 percent of the 2020 sub-ACL allocated to 
Management Area 3 only recently became available. High-volume catch and 
landings in this fishery increase total catch relative to the sub-ACL 
quickly, especially in this fishing year where annual catch limits are 
unusually low. If implementation of this closure is delayed to solicit 
prior public comment, the sub-ACL for Management Area 3 for this 
fishing year will likely be exceeded; thereby, undermining the 
conservation objectives of the FMP. If sub-ACLs are exceeded, the 
excess must also be deducted from a future sub-ACL and would reduce 
future fishing opportunities.
    In addition, the public had prior notice and full opportunity to 
comment on this process when these provisions were put in place. The 
public expects these actions to occur in a timely way consistent with 
the fishery management plan's objectives.

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

    Dated: June 4, 2020.
H[eacute]l[egrave]ne M.N. Scalliet,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-12468 Filed 6-4-20; 4:15 pm]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P