[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 213 (Thursday, November 2, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 65787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28054]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 000426114-0114-01; I.D. 101700E]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Spiny Dogfish 
Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for Period 2

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

ACTION: Closure; commercial quota for period 2.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the spiny dogfish commercial quota 
available in Period 2 to the coastal states from Maine through Florida 
has been harvested. Therefore, the spiny dogfish fishery will remain 
closed and commercial vessels may not land spiny dogfish from Maine 
through Florida through April 24, 2001. Regulations governing the spiny 
dogfish fishery require publication of this notification to advise the 
coastal states from Maine through Florida that the quota has been 
harvested and to advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders 
that no commercial quota is available for landing spiny dogfish in 
these states.

DATES: Effective November 1, 2000, 0001 hrs, local time, through April 
24, 2001, 2400 hrs, local time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David M. Gouveia, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, at (978) 281-9280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the spiny dogfish 
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual 
specification of a commercial quota, which is allocated into two quota 
periods based upon percentages of the annual quota. The period 1 
commercial quota (May through October) is distributed to the coastal 
states from Maine through Florida as described in Sec. 648.230.
    The initial total commercial quota for spiny dogfish for the 2000 
fishing year was set equal to 4,000,000 lb (1,814 mt) (65 FR 25887, May 
4, 2000). The commercial quota is allocated into two periods (May 1 
through October 31, and November 1 through April 30), with trip limits 
intended to preclude directed fishing. Quota period 1 was allocated 
2,316,000 lb (1,050 mt) and quota period 2 was allocated 1,684,000 lb 
(764 mt) of the commercial quota, respectively.
    Section 648.231 requires the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator) to monitor the commercial spiny dogfish quota 
for each quota period and, based upon dealer reports, state data, and 
other available information, to determine when the commercial quota has 
been harvested. NMFS is required to publish a notification in the 
Federal Register advising and notifying commercial vessels and dealer 
permit holders that, effective upon a specific date, the spiny dogfish 
commercial quota has been harvested and no commercial quota is 
available for landing spiny dogfish for the remainder of a given quota 
period.
    Based on dealer reports and other available information, the 
Regional Administrator closed quota period 1 on August 1, 2000 (65 FR 
46877, August 1, 2000). However, due to state management actions that 
were inconsistent with the Federal quota, spiny dogfish landings have 
already exceeded the annual quota for the entire 2000 fishing year. 
Therefore, the Regional Administrator is announcing that the 2000 
commercial period 2 quota for spiny dogfish has been harvested and the 
commercial spiny dogfish fishery will remain closed for the remainder 
of the fishing year.
    Section 648.4(b) provides that Federal spiny dogfish permit holders 
agree, as a condition of the permit, not to land spiny dogfish in any 
state after NMFS has published notification in the Federal Register 
that the commercial quota for the period has been harvested and that no 
commercial quota for the spiny dogfish fishery is available. The 
Regional Administrator has determined that period 2 for spiny dogfish 
no longer has commercial quota available. Therefore, effective 0001 hrs 
local time, November 1, 2000, landings of spiny dogfish in coastal 
states from Maine through Florida by vessels holding commercial Federal 
fisheries permits are prohibited through April 24, 2001, 2400 hrs local 
time. The fishing year 2001 quota period 1 for commercial spiny dogfish 
harvest will open on May 1, 2001. Effective November 1, 2000, federally 
permitted dealers are also advised that they may not purchase spiny 
dogfish from federally permitted spiny dogfish permit holders that land 
in coastal states from Maine through Florida for quota period 2 
(through April 24, 2001).

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 26, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-28054 Filed 11-1-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S