[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 3, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 23460-23461]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-09934]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 250424-0072]
RIN 0648-BN64
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast
Multispecies Fishery; Fishing Year 2025 Measures; Correction
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; correction.
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SUMMARY: This document contains a correction to the preamble to a
temporary rule for emergency measures under the authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act) for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan
(FMP), which published on May 2, 2025. Specifically, NMFS is correcting
two items in the preamble of the temporary rule: The possession limit
for Gulf of Maine cod in table 13 of the temporary rule; and the value
for the fishing year 2025 U.S. acceptable biological catch (ABC) for
Georges Bank haddock that was projected in Framework Adjustment 66.
DATES: Effective May 1, 2025, through October 28, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Grant, Fishery Policy Analyst,
phone: 978-281-9145; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 2, 2025, NMFS published a temporary
rule (90 FR 18804) implementing emergency measures to revise portions
of the fishing year 2025 provisions in the Northeast Multispecies FMP
to put in place necessary specifications and other measures at the
beginning of fishing year 2025. The temporary rule is intended to
mitigate economic harm to the Northeast multispecies fishery
participants by establishing fish stock quotas and related measures
that allow
[[Page 23461]]
the fishery to operate while preventing overfishing. Comments on the
temporary rule must be received by June 2, 2025. The temporary rule
establishes annual catch limits and total allowable catches, and
approves Northeast multispecies sector operations plans and sector
allocations that allow the fishery to operate during the 2025 fishing
year that began on May 1, 2025. The temporary rule contained two errors
in the preamble: The value for the fishing year 2025 U.S. acceptable
biological catch (ABC) for Georges Bank haddock that was projected in
Framework Adjustment 66 (89 FR 35755, May 2, 2024); and the possession
limit for Gulf of Maine cod in table 13.
The temporary rule incorrectly listed the fishing year 2024 U.S.
ABC amount of 7,058 mt as the projected Georges Bank haddock U.S. ABC
for fishing year 2025 published in Framework Adjustment 66. The correct
projected Georges Bank haddock U.S. ABC for fishing year 2025 in
Framework Adjustment 66 was 5,382 mt. The new 2025 U.S. ABC recommended
by the New England Fishery Management Council in Framework Adjustment
69 (1,556 mt) is 71 percent lower than the U.S. ABC previously
projected for 2025 (1,556 mt vs. 5,382 mt). The U.S. ABC for 2025
projected in Framework Adjustment 66 (5,382 mt) is 33 percent less than
the overfishing limit (8,034 mt) identified in the 2024 assessment. The
Canadian share of the 2025 total ABC is 5,854 mt, based on the U.S./
Canada process described in the temporary rule. Therefore, in
combination with projected Canadian catch, maintaining the U.S. ABC
projected by Framework Adjustment 66 for fishing year 2025 could allow
overfishing and the temporary rule correctly set a lower U.S. ABC for
fishing year 2025.
Table 13 in the temporary rule incorrectly listed the daily and
trip possession limit of Gulf of Maine cod as 0 lb (0 kg) and stated
that possession of Gulf of Maine cod is prohibited for commercial
vessels fishing in the common pool in FISHING YEAR 2025. This was a
typographical error. The preamble explained, and table 13 correctly
indicated, that possession of Georges Bank cod is prohibited.
Possession of Gulf of Maine cod is allowed under the temporary rule.
Limited access day-at-sea (DAS) vessels may possess up to 25 lb (11 kg)
per DAS, and up to 50 lb (23 kg) per trip. All other commercial vessels
fishing in the common pool may possess up to 25 lb (11 kg) per trip.
This document changes the value of the fishing year 2025 U.S. ABC
for Georges Bank haddock to the amount that was projected in Framework
Adjustment 66 and adjusts the Gulf of Maine cod possession limit in
table 13 to the correct amounts.
Correction
In FR Rule Doc. 2025-07635, appearing on page 18804 in the Federal
Register of Friday, May 2, 2025, the following corrections to the
preamble are made:
1. On page 18807, in the second column, the current second
paragraph under table 1 states, ``However, a new stock assessment
completed in 2024 resulted in the Council recommending a new 2025 U.S.
ABC in Framework Adjustment 69 that is 78 percent lower than the U.S.
ABC previously projected for 2025 (1,556 mt vs. 7,058 mt). The U.S. ABC
for 2025 projected in Framework Adjustment 66 (7,058 mt) is only 12
percent less than the overfishing limit (8,034 mt) identified in the
2024 assessment.'' This is corrected to read ``However, a new stock
assessment completed in 2024 resulted in the Council recommending a new
2025 U.S. ABC in Framework Adjustment 69 that is 71 percent lower than
the U.S. ABC previously projected for 2025 (1,556 mt vs. 5,382 mt). The
U.S. ABC for 2025 projected in Framework Adjustment 66 (5,382 mt) is 33
percent less than the overfishing limit (8,034 mt) identified in the
2024 assessment.''
2. On page 18815, in table 13, the entry ``GOM cod'' is corrected
to read as follows:
Table 13--Interim 2025 Common Pool Daily and Trip Possession Limits
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Proposed 2025 common pool daily and trip possession limits
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Stock Small vessel
DAS permits Handgear A Handgear B category
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GOM Cod......................... 25 lb (11 kg) per 25 lb (11 kg) per trip.
DAS, up to 50 lb
(23 kg) per trip.
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Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 28, 2025.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-09934 Filed 6-2-25; 8:45 am]
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