[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 237 (Friday, December 10, 2004)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 71731-71732]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-27177]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 300

[Docket No. 040617186-4302; I.D. 120704A]


International Fisheries; Pacific Tuna Fisheries; Restrictions for 
2004 Purse Seine and Longline Fisheries in the Eastern Tropical Pacific 
Ocean

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

Action: Fishing closure, restrictions.

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SUMMARY: NMFS publishes this document to prevent overfishing of bigeye 
tuna in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP), consistent with 
recommendations by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) 
that have been approved by the Department of State (DOS) under the Tuna

[[Page 71732]]

Conventions Act. NMFS hereby closes the U.S. longline fishery for 
bigeye tuna in the Convention Area for the remainder of 2004 because 
the bigeye tuna catch in the Convention Area has reached the reported 
level of catch made in 2001. This action is intended to limit fishing 
mortality on bigeye tuna stock caused by longline fishing in the 
Convention Area and contribute to the long-term conservation of bigeye 
tuna stock at levels that support healthy fisheries.

DATES: Effective from December 13, 2004 through the end of the 2004 
fishing season, unless NMFS publishes a superceding document in the 
Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Southwest Regional Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 
501 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90902-4213.
    This Federal Register document is also accessible via the Internet 
at the Office of the Federal Register's website at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: J. Allison Routt, Sustainable 
Fisheries Division, Southwest Region, NMFS, (562) 980-4030.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States is a member of the IATTC, 
which was established under the Convention for the Establishment of an 
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission signed in 1949 (Convention). 
The IATTC was established to provide an international arrangement to 
ensure the effective international conservation and management of 
highly migratory species of fish in the Convention Area. The Convention 
Area is defined to include the waters of the ETP bounded by the coast 
of the Americas, the 40[deg] N. and 40[deg] S. parallels, and the 
150[deg] W. meridian. The IATTC has maintained a scientific research 
and fishery monitoring program for many years and annually assesses the 
status of stocks of tuna and the fisheries to determine appropriate 
harvest limits or other measures to prevent overexploitation of tuna 
stocks and promote viable fisheries. Under the Tuna Conventions Act, 16 
U.S.C. 951-962, NMFS must publish regulations to carry out IATTC 
recommendations and resolutions that have been approved by DOS. A 
proposed rule and request for comments was published in the Federal 
Register (69 FR 122) on June 25, 2004, and a final rule was published 
on November 12, 2004 (69 FR 65382). The Southwest Regional 
Administrator also is required by regulations at 50 CFR 300.29(b)(3) to 
issue a direct notice to the owners or agents of U.S. vessels that 
operate in the ETP of actions recommended by the IATTC and approved by 
the DOS. Notices to the fleet were issued in October 2003, May 2004, 
and again in October 2004 regarding these actions.
    The November 12, 2004, final rule provides that the U.S. longline 
fishery for bigeye tuna in the Convention Area will close for the 
remainder of calendar year 2004 if the catch of bigeye tuna by U.S. 
longline vessels in the Convention Area reaches 150 mt, which is the 
amount estimated to have been caught by the U.S. longline fishery in 
the Convention Area in 2001. Specifically, once the fishery is closed 
upon reaching the 2001 catch level, no bigeye tuna may be caught and 
retained by U.S. longline vessels in the Convention Area during the 
remainder of calendar year 2004.
    NMFS has determined that the 150 mt catch level has been reached 
and hereby closes the U.S. longline fishery for bigeye tuna in the 
Convention Area for the remainder of the year 2004. It is therefore 
prohibited for a U.S. longline vessel to catch and retain bigeye tuna 
in the Convention Area from the effective date of this action through 
December 31, 2004.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 951-962.

    Dated: December 7, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-27177 Filed 12-9-04; 8:45 am]
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