41736 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 150 /Wednesday, August 5, 1998 /Rules and Regulations

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 678

[I.D. 073098A]

Atlantic Shark Fisheries; Large Coastal

Shark Species

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the

commercial fishery for large coastal

sharks conducted by persons aboard

vessels issued a Federal Atlantic shark

permit in the Western North Atlantic

Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico

and the Caribbean Sea. This action is

necessary to ensure that the adjusted

second semiannual quota for the period

July 1 through December 31, 1998, is not

exceeded.

DATES: The closure is effective from

11:30 p.m. local time August 4, 1998,

through December 31, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Margo Schulze or Karyl Brewster-Geisz,

301–713–2347, fax 301–713–1917; or

Buck Sutter, 727–570–5447, fax 727–

570–5364.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Atlantic shark fishery is managed under

the Fishery Management Plan for Sharks

of the Atlantic Ocean and its

implementing regulations are found at

50 CFR part 678 and issued under

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Management

Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).

Section 678.24(b) of the regulations

provides for two semiannual quotas of

large coastal sharks to be harvested from

Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico

waters by commercial fishers. The

second semiannual quota is available for

harvest from July 1 through December

31, 1998.

The Assistant Administrator for

Fisheries, NOAA (AA), is required

under § 678.25 to monitor the catch and

landing statistics and, on the basis of

these statistics, to determine when the

catch of Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of

Mexico sharks will equal any quota

under § 678.24(b). When shark harvests

reach, or are projected to reach, a quota

established under § 678.24(b), the AA is

further required under § 678.25 to close

the fishery.

The first semiannual quota was

available for harvest from January 1

through June 30, 1998. Final data

indicated that the catch of large coastal

shark species from January 1 through

March 31, 1998, totaled 684.8 mt, which

was 42 mt more than the established

quota. Therefore, the adjusted quota for

large coastal shark species for the

second 1998 semiannual period was

decreased from 642 mt to 600 mt (63 FR

29355, May 29, 1998).

The AA has determined, based on the

reported catch and other relevant

factors, that the adjusted semiannual

quota for the period July 1 through

December 31, 1998, for large coastal

sharks in or from the Western North

Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of

Mexico and Caribbean Sea, will be

attained as of August 3, 1998. During

the closure, retention of large coastal

sharks is prohibited for persons fishing

aboard vessels issued a permit under

§ 678.4, unless the vessel is operating as

a charter vessel or headboat, in which

case the vessel may retain up to two

large coastal sharks per trip subject to

the provisions of § 678.25(a)(2). The

retention, sale, purchase, trade, or barter

or attempted sale, purchase, trade, or

barter of carcasses and/or fins of large

coastal sharks harvested by a person

aboard a vessel that has been issued a

permit under § 678.4 is prohibited,

except for those that were harvested,

offloaded, and sold, traded, or bartered

prior to the closure, and were held in

storage by a dealer or processor.

Persons fishing aboard vessels issued

a Federal Atlantic shark permit under

§ 678.4 are reminded that, as a condition

of permit issuance, the vessel may not

retain a large coastal shark during the

closure, except as provided by

§ 678.24(a). Fishing for pelagic and

small coastal sharks may continue. The

recreational fishery is not affected by

this closure.

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR

part 678 and is exempt from review

under E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: July 30, 1998.

Bruce Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–20828 Filed 7–30–98; 4:40 pm]

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