[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 30, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 28082-28083]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-13097]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 625

[Docket No. 950522140-5140-01; I.D. 050595E]
RIN 0648-XX22


Summer Flounder Fishery; 1995 Recreational Fishery Measures

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

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this proposed rule to amend the regulations 
implementing the Fishery Management Plan for the Summer Flounder 
Fishery (FMP). This rule proposes season dates, a possession limit, and 
a minimum fish size for the 1995 recreational fishery. The recreational 
season would be open from January 1 through December 31, with a 
possession limit of 6 fish per person and a minimum fish size of 14 
inches (35.6 cm). The proposed 1995 season, possession limit, and 
minimum fish size are specified to achieve the 1995 coastwide 
recreational harvest limit, which is 7.8 million lbs (3.5 million kg).

DATES: Public comments are invited through June 23, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to, and copies of the environmental 
assessment (EA) prepared for the 1995 summer flounder specifications 
are available from the Regional Director, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hannah Goodale, 508-281-9101.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Section 625.20 of the regulations implementing the FMP outlines the 
process for determining annual commercial and recreational catch quotas 
and other restrictions for the summer flounder fishery. The Summer 
Flounder Monitoring Committee (Committee), made up of representatives 
from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council (Council), the New England Fishery 
Management Council, and NMFS, is required to review, on an annual 
basis, scientific and other relevant information and to recommend a 
quota and other restrictions necessary to achieve a fishing mortality 
rate of 0.53 in 1993 through 1995, and 0.23 in 1996 and thereafter. 
This schedule of fishing mortality rates is mandated by the FMP to 
prevent overfishing and to rebuild the summer flounder resource. The 
Committee reviews the following information annually: (1) Commercial 
and recreational catch data; (2) current estimates of fishing 
mortality; (3) stock status; (4) recent estimates of recruitment; (5) 
virtual population analysis, a method for analyzing fish stock 
abundance; (6) levels of regulatory noncompliance by fishermen or 
individual states; (7) impact of fish size and net mesh regulations; 
(8) impact of gear, other than otter trawls, on the mortality of summer 
flounder; and (9) other relevant information. Pursuant to Sec. 625.20, 
after this review the Committee recommends management measures to 
ensure achievement of the appropriate fishing mortality rate. These 
measures include: (1) Commercial quota, (2) commercial minimum fish 
size, (3) minimum mesh size, (4) recreational possession limit within 
the range of 0 to 15 fish per person per day, (5) recreational minimum 
fish size, (6) recreational season, and (7) restrictions on gear other 
than otter trawls.
    Measures (1), (2), (3), and (7) above were implemented on February 
10, 1995 (60 FR 8958, February 16, 1995). The management measures 
contained in the final specifications were: (1) A coastwide commercial 
quota of 14.7 million lbs (6.7 million kg), (2) a coastwide 
recreational harvest limit of 7.8 million lbs (3.5 million kg), (3) no 
change from the present minimum commercial fish size of 13 inches (33 
cm), and (4) no change in the present minimum mesh-size restriction of 
5\1/2\-inch diamond (14.0 cm) or 6-inch square (15.2 cm).
    The recreational season, possession limit, and minimum size were 
not established as part of the final specifications because 
recreational catch data for 1994 was not available for the Committee's 
use in evaluating the effectiveness of the 1994 season and possession 
limit. Shortly after this data became available, the Committee met to 
review the 1994 data and to recommend measures for 1995. The Committee 
recommended elimination of the closed season, an individual possession 
limit of 6 fish per person, and a minimum fish size of 14 inches (35.6 
cm).
    These recommendations were adopted by the Council's Demersal 
Species Committee on March 14, 1995, but the possession limit was 
revised by the ``full'' Council at its meeting of March 15-16, 1995. 
The Council's recommendation to the Director, Northeast Region, NMFS 
(Regional Director) was for elimination of the closed season in 1995, 
an individual possession limit of 8 fish per person, and a minimum fish 
size of 14 inches (35.6 cm).
    On April 12, 1995, the Regional Director disapproved the Council's 
recommendation, citing inconsistency with the Council's earlier 
recommendation to the Regional Director to take all appropriate actions 
to ensure that the target fishing mortality rate is not exceeded in 
1995. The Regional Director informed the Council that their 
recommendation, being less restrictive than measures imposed in 1994, 
was inconsistent with their earlier expressed concern. The Regional 
Director invited the Council to reconsider and develop a proposal that 
would address the inconsistency without compromising 
conservation. [[Page 28083]] 
    On April 19, 1995, the Council adopted the original recommendation 
of the Committee and submitted it to the Regional Director for review. 
This recommendation, which is proposed in this action, contains the 
following measures: Elimination of the closed season, an individual 
possession limit of 6 fish per person, and a minimum fish size of 14 
inches (35.6 cm).
    Upon publication of the final rule, the recreational fishing 
measures for 1995 that are contained in the rule are likely to become 
effective with less than a 30-day delay in effective date, because the 
season has already started and measures that would be imposed either 
would remove a restriction or do not require time to come into 
compliance.

Classification

    This action is authorized by 50 CFR part 625 and complies with the 
National Environmental Policy Act. An EA, which analyzed the impacts 
and consequences of the alternative harvest levels, was prepared as 
part of the rulemaking that established the 1995 fishery 
specifications, including the coastwide recreational harvest level. 
This proposed rule contains the recreational season and possession 
limit that can best achieve the specified harvest level, and has no 
effects that were not previously analyzed in the EA.
    The Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Regulation of the 
Department of Commerce certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of 
the Small Business Administration that this proposed rule, if adopted, 
would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of 
small entities, such as the charter boats and head boats that serve the 
recreational fishery. The combination of management measures (minimum 
fish size, lack of a closed season, and the six-fish possession limit) 
should allow recreational fishermen to harvest summer flounder at a 
level close to, or slightly below the coastwide harvest limit for this 
fishery. As a result, a regulatory flexibility analysis was not 
prepared.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 625

    Fisheries, Fishing, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: May 23, 1995.
Richard H. Schaefer,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
    For the reasons set out in the preamble, NMFS proposes that 50 CFR 
part 625 be amended to read as follows:

PART 625--SUMMER FLOUNDER FISHERY

    1. The authority citation for part 625 continues to read as 
follows:

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

    2. Section 625.22 is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 625.22  Time restrictions.

    Vessels that do not possess a moratorium permit under Sec. 625.4 
and fishermen subject to the possession limit may fish for summer 
flounder during the period January 1 through December 31. This time 
period may be adjusted pursuant to the procedures in Sec. 625.20.
    3. In Sec. 625.25, the first sentence of paragraph (a) is revised 
to read as follows:


Sec. 625.25  Possession limit.

    (a) No person shall possess more than six summer flounder in or 
harvested from the EEZ unless that person is the owner or operator of a 
fishing vessel issued a moratorium permit under Sec. 625.4. * * *
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 95-13097 Filed 5-24-95; 12:23 pm]
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