Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 78 / Friday, April 21, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 21377

1See the Federal Register issue of April 19, 2000

I.D. 121198A).

part 17. For NMFS the applicable ESA

regulations would include those

promulgated in 50 CFR part 222, 226

and 424.

In making this decision, the agencies

recognized that certain ESA

responsibilities pertaining to the

Umpqua River ESU should be retained

by NMFS for a short time so that

pending rulemaking and consultation

issues can be efficiently concluded prior

to FWS assuming complete jurisdiction

for the species. Because the original

status review and listing decisions for

this ESU were conducted by NMFS, the

final de-listing assessment will continue

to be conducted by NMFS. The results

of this assessment have been announced

in a Federal Register document 1 and, in

accordance with section 4(a)(2)(B) of the

ESA, will require FWS’ concurrence on

any de-listing determination for the

Umpqua River ESU. Also, NMFS will

continue to conduct ESA section 7

consultations for this ESU until

publication of a final determination.

In addition, the agencies have

determined that the FWS would

conclude the final listing determination

for southwestern Washington/Columbia

River cutthroat trout populations in

light of their proposed listing status.

FWS has, therefore, assumed sole ESA

regulatory responsibilities (e.g.,

conferencing requirements) for

addressing these populations. Final

listing determinations for the

Southwestern Washington/Columbia

River and Umpqua River populations

are expected to be completed by April

2000. Regardless, both agencies will

continue to coordinate activities such as

section 7 consultations and Habitat

Conservation Plans involving

watersheds shared by coastal cutthroat

trout and salmonid species under NMFS

jurisdiction (e.g., steelhead, coho, and

chinook salmon).

References Cited

A complete list of all references cited

herein is available on request from the

Fish and Wildlife Service (See

ADDRESSES section).

Author

The primary author of this document

is Rollie White, Fish and Wildlife

Service, (see ADDRESSES section).

Authority

The authority for this action is the

Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531

et seq.).

Dated: April 12, 2000.

Cynthia U. Barry,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Fish and

Wildlife Service.

Dated: April 7, 2000.

Penelope D. Dalton,

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–9737 Filed 4–20–00; 8:45 am]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[I.D. 041700B]

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of

Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish

Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Closure

of the Commercial Red Snapper

Component

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS closes the commercial

fishery for red snapper in the exclusive

economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of

Mexico. NMFS has determined that the

spring portion of the annual commercial

quota for red snapper will be reached on

May 8, 2000. This closure is necessary

to protect the red snapper resource.

DATES: Closure is effective noon, local

time, May 8, 2000, until noon, local

time, on September 1, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Roy Crabtree, 727–570–5305.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The reef

fish fishery of the Gulf of Mexico is

managed under the Fishery

Management Plan for the Reef Fish

Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP).

The FMP was prepared by the Gulf of

Mexico Fishery Management Council

and is implemented under the authority

of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act by

regulations at 50 CFR part 622. Those

regulations set the commercial quota for

red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico at

4.65 million lb (2.11 million kg) for the

current fishing year, January 1 through

December 31, 2000. The red snapper

commercial fishing season is split into

two time periods, the first commencing

at noon on February 1 with two-thirds

of the annual quota (3.06 million lb

(1.39 million kg)) available, and the

second commencing at noon on

September 1 with the remainder of the

annual quota available. During the

commercial season, the red snapper

commercial fishery opens at noon on

the first of each month and closes at

noon on the 10th of each month, until

the applicable commercial quotas are

reached.

Under 50 CFR 622.43(a), NMFS is

required to close the commercial fishery

for a species or species group when the

quota for that species or species group

is reached, or is projected to be reached,

by publishing a notification to that

effect in the Federal Register. Based on

current statistics, NMFS has determined

that the available commercial quota of

3.06 million lb (1.39 million kg) for red

snapper will be reached when the

fishery closes at noon on May 8, 2000.

Accordingly, the commercial fishery in

the EEZ in the Gulf of Mexico for red

snapper will remain closed until noon,

local time, on September 1, 2000. The

operator of a vessel with a valid reef fish

permit having red snapper aboard must

have landed and bartered, traded, or

sold such red snapper prior to noon,

local time, May 8, 2000.

During the closure, the bag and

possession limits specified in 50 CFR

622.39(b) apply to all harvest or

possession of red snapper in or from the

EEZ in the Gulf of Mexico, and the sale

or purchase of red snapper taken from

the EEZ is prohibited. In addition, the

bag and possession limits for red

snapper apply on board a vessel for

which a commercial permit for Gulf reef

fish has been issued, without regard to

where such red snapper were harvested.

However, the bag and possession limits

for red snapper apply only when the

recreational quota for red snapper has

not been reached and the bag and

possession limit has not been reduced to

zero. The prohibition on sale or

purchase does not apply to sale or

purchase of red snapper that were

harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior

to noon, local time, May 8, 2000, and

were held in cold storage by a dealer or

processor.

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR

622.43(a) and is exempt from review

under Executive Order 12866.

Dated: April 17, 2000.

Bruce Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–10027 Filed 4–20–00; 8:45 am]

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