63550 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 206 / Tuesday, October 24, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

Regional Administrator has determined

that the daily trip limit will be

reimposed on March 1, 2001, unless she

can project that the haddock target TAC

for fishing year 2000 will be harvested

but not exceeded before the end of the

fishing year. Therefore, pursuant to §

648.86(a)(1)(iii)(B), the haddock daily

landing limit is suspended, while the

50,000 lb (22,680 kg) per trip maximum

possession limit is retained, from

October 26, 2000, until February 28,

2001. The Regional Administrator may

adjust this possession limit again

through publication of a notification in

the Federal Register, pursuant to §

648.86(a)(1)(iii).

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: October 18, 2000.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–27291; 10–19–00 4:52 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 697

[Docket No. 000824246–0288–02; I.D.

062700F]

RIN 0648–AO33

Horseshoe Crab; Interstate Fishery

Management Plans

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Stay of declaration of

moratorium and interim final rule.

SUMMARY: NMFS stays a moratorium

and an interim final rule from October

23, 2000, through October 27, 2000.

This action is being taken to allow time

for Virginia to issue regulations to

comply with Addendum 1 to the

Interstate Fishery Management Plan for

Horseshoe Crabs (Horseshoe Crab Plan),

for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries

Commission to determine whether

Virginia is in compliance, and for the

Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to

remove the moratorium and associated

regulations if he concurs with the

Commission’s determination.

DATES: Effective October 23, 2000, the

moratorium and the amendments to 50

CFR 697.2 and 697.7 published on

October 16, 2000 at 65 FR 61116 are

stayed through October 27, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

Peria, 301–427–2014.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

October 16, 2000 (65 FR 61116), NMFS

declared a Federal moratorium on

fishing for horseshoes crabs in Virginia

waters and issued regulations

prohibiting the possession of horseshoe

crabs in Virginia waters and the landing

of horseshoes crabs in Virginia,

regardless of where they were caught,

effective October 23, 2000. the

moratorium and regulations would

remain in effect until the Secretary finds

Virginia in compliance with Addendum

1.

On Tuesday, October 17, 2000, the

Virginia Marine Resources Commission

announced its intention to bring

Virginia into compliance with the

Horseshoe Crab Plan by implementing

regulations by October 24, 2000, that

would reduce Virginia’s horseshoe crab

landing limit to 152,495 horseshoe

crabs, the amount allocated to it under

Addendum 1. The Atlantic States

Marine Fisheries Commission has stated

that it will review Virginia’s new

regulation immediately and will

withdraw its determination of noncompliance if it finds Virginia has taken

the necessary steps to comply with

Addendum 1. If the Secretary

determines that Virginia is in

compliance with Addendum 1, then he

would remove the moratorium and

associated regulations.

Because Virgnina hsa agreed to

comply with Addendum 1 by issuing

the necessary regulations by October 24,

2000, the Secretary is staying the

moratorium and interim final rule

through October 27, 2000, to allow time

for Virginia to take such action, for the

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries

Commission and Secretary to review it,

and for the Secretary to remove the

moratorium and interim final rule, if

appropriate.

Dated: October 20, 2000.

Craig O’Connor,

Acting General Counsel.

[FR Doc. 00–27450 Filed 10–20–00; 3:58 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–M