Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 150 / Friday, August 4, 2006 / Rules and Regulations 44229 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No. 010319075–1217–02; I.D. 

073106E] 

Fisheries of the Northeastern United 

States; Tilefish Fishery; Quota 

Harvested for Full-time Tier 2 Category 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the 

percentage of the tilefish annual total 

allowable landings (TAL) available to 

the Full-time Tier 2 permit category for 

the 2006 fishing year has been 

harvested. In response, commercial 

vessels fishing under the Full-time Tier 

2 tilefish category may not harvest 

tilefish from within the Golden Tilefish 

Management Unit for the remainder of 

the 2006 fishing year (through October 

31, 2006). Regulations governing the 

tilefish fishery require publication of 

this notification to advise the public of 

this closure. 

DATES: Effective 0001 hrs local time, 

August 2, 2006, through 2400 hrs local 

time, October 31, 2006. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Brian R. Hooker, Fishery Policy Analyst, 

at (978) 281–9220. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Regulations governing the tilefish 

fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. 

The regulations require annual 

specification of a TAL for federally 

permitted tilefish vessels harvesting 

tilefish from within the Golden Tilefish 

Management Unit. The Golden Tilefish 

Management Unit is defined as an area 

of the Atlantic Ocean from the latitude 

of the VA/NC border (36°33.36′ N. lat.), 

extending eastward from the shore to 

the outer boundary of the exclusive 

economic zone, and northward to the 

U.S./Canada border. After 5 percent of 

the TAL is deducted to reflect landings 

by vessels issued an open-access 

Incidental permit category, and after up 

to 3 percent of the TAL is set aside for 

research purposes, should research TAL 

be set aside, the remaining TAL is 

distributed among the following three 

tilefish limited access permit categories: 

Full-time Tier 1 category (66 percent), 

Full-time Tier 2 category (15 percent), 

and the Part-time category (19 percent). 

The TAL for tilefish for the 2006 

fishing year was set at 1.995 million lb 

(905,172 kg) and then adjusted 

downward by 5 percent to 1,895,250 lb 

(859,671 kg) to account for incidental 

catch. There was no research set-aside 

for the 2006 fishing year. Thus, the Fulltime Tier 2 permit category quota for the 

2006 fishing year, which is equal to 15 

percent of the TAL, is 284,288 lb 

(128,951 kg). 

The Administrator, Northeast Region, 

NMFS (Regional Administrator) 

monitors the commercial tilefish quota 

for each fishing year using dealer 

reports, vessel catch reports, and other 

available information to determine 

when the quota for each limited access 

permit category is projected to have 

been harvested. NMFS is required to 

publish notification in the Federal 

Register notifying commercial vessels 

and dealer permit holders that, effective 

upon a specific date, the tilefish TAL for 

the specific limited access category has 

been harvested and no commercial 

quota is available for harvesting tilefish 

by that category for the remainder of the 

fishing year, from within the Golden 

Tilefish Management Unit. 

The Regional Administrator has 

determined, based upon dealer reports 

and other available information, that the 

2006 tilefish TAL for the Full-time Tier 

2 category has been harvested. 

Therefore, effective 0001 hrs local time, 

August 2, 2006, further landings of 

tilefish harvested from within the 

Golden Tilefish Management Unit by 

tilefish vessels holding Full-time Tier 2 

category Federal fisheries permits are 

prohibited through October 31, 2006. 

The 2007 fishing year for commercial 

tilefish harvest will open on November 

1, 2006. Federally permitted dealers are 

also advised that, effective August 2, 

2006, they may not purchase tilefish 

from Full-time Tier 2 category federally 

permitted tilefish vessels who land 

tilefish harvested from within the 

Golden Tilefish Management Unit for 

the remainder of the 2006 fishing year 

(through October 31, 2006). 

Classification 

This action is required by 50 CFR part 

648 and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: July 31, 2006. 

Alan D. Risenhoover, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 06–6691 Filed 8–1–06; 1:44 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 060216045–6045–01; I.D. 

073106B] 

Fisheries of the Economic Exclusive 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by 

Catcher Vessels Less Than 60 Feet 

(18.3 Meters) Length Overall Using 

Hook-and-Line or Pot Gear in the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

Management Area 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; modification of 

a closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed 

fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels 

less than 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length 

overall (LOA) using hook-and-line or 

pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian 

Islands management area (BSAI). This 

action is necessary to allow the catcher 

vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA 

using hook-and-line or pot gear in the 

BSAI to harvest their Pacific cod 

allocation. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), August 15, 2006, through 

2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2006. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Hogan, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

BSAI exclusive economic zone 

according to the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea 

and Aleutian Islands Management Area 

(FMP) prepared by the North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council under 

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act. Regulations governing fishing by 

U.S. vessels in accordance with the FMP 

appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 

and 50 CFR part 679. 

NMFS closed directed fishing for 

Pacific cod by catcher vessels less than 

60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-andline or pot gear in the BSAI under 

§ 679.21(d)(1)(iii) on May 23, 2006 (71 

FR 30300, May 26, 2006). 

NMFS has determined that as of July 

25, 2006, approximately 60 metric tons 

of Pacific cod remain in the 2006 Pacific 

cod TAC specified for catcher vessels 

less than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using 

hook-and-line or pot gear in the BSAI. 

Therefore, in accordance with 

§§ 679.25(a)(2)(i)(C) and (a)(2)(iii)(D), 


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