Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 231 / Tuesday, December 2, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 63677

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[Docket No. 961204340–7087–02; I.D.

112597A]

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of

Mexico, and South Atlantic; Coastal

Migratory Pelagic Resources of the

Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Trip

Limit Reduction

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Trip limit reduction.

SUMMARY: NMFS reduces the

commercial trip limit in the hook-andline fishery for king mackerel in the

Florida west coast sub-zone to 500 lb

(227 kg) of king mackerel per day in or

from the exclusive economic zone

(EEZ). This trip limit reduction is

necessary to protect the overfished Gulf

king mackerel resource.

DATES: Effective 12:01 a.m., local time,

November 28, 1997, through June 30,

1998, unless changed by further

notification in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mark F. Godcharles, 813–570–5305.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

fishery for coastal migratory pelagic fish

(king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, cero,

cobia, little tunny, dolphin, and, in the

Gulf of Mexico only, bluefish) is

managed under the Fishery

Management Plan for the Coastal

Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf

of Mexico and South Atlantic (FMP).

The FMP was prepared by the Gulf of

Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery

Management Councils (Councils) and is

implemented under the authority of the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act by

regulations at 50 CFR part 622.

Based on the Councils’ recommended

total allowable catch and the allocation

ratios in the FMP, NMFS implemented

a commercial quota for the Gulf

migratory group of king mackerel in the

Florida west coast sub-zone of 865,000

pounds (392,357 kg). That quota was

further divided into two equal quotas of

432,500 lb (196,179 kg) for vessels in

each of two groups by gear types—

vessels using run-around gillnets and

vessels using hook-and-line gear.

In accordance with 50 CFR

622.44(a)(2)(ii)(B), from the date that 75

percent of the subzone’s hook-and-line

gear quota has been harvested until a

closure of the west coast subzone’s

hook-and-line fishery has been effected

or the fishing year ends, king mackerel

in or from the EEZ may be possessed on

board or landed from a permitted vessel

in amounts not exceeding 500 lb (227

kg) per day.

NMFS has determined that 75 percent

of the hook-and-line quota for Gulf

group king mackerel from the Florida

west coast subzone has been reached.

Accordingly, a 500–lb (227–kg) trip

limit applies to vessels in the

commercial hook-and-line fishery for

king mackerel in or from the EEZ in the

Florida west coast subzone effective

12:01 a.m., local time, November 28,

1997.

The Florida west coast subzone

extends from 87°31’06’’ W. long. (due

south of the Alabama/Florida boundary)

to: (1) 25°20.4’ N. lat. (due east of the

Dade/Monroe County, FL, boundary)

through March 31, 1998; and (2) 25°48’

N. lat. (due west of the Monroe/Collier

County, FL, boundary) from April 1,

1998, through October 31, 1998.

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR

622.44(a)(2)(iii) and is exempt from

review under E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: November 26, 1997.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–31582 Filed 11–26–97; 3:13 pm]

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