33210 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 120 / Thursday, June 21, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 010319071–1103–02; I.D.

061501C]

Fisheries of the Northeastern United

States; Spiny Dogfish Fishery;

Commercial Quota Harvested for

Period 1

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure; commercial quota for

period 1.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the

period 1 spiny dogfish commercial

quota available to the coastal states from

Maine through Florida has been

harvested. Federally permitted

commercial vessels may no longer land

spiny dogfish for the duration of period

1 (through October 31, 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 0001 hrs local time,

June 22, 2001, through 2400 hrs local

time, October 31, 2001.

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 §

648.230.

The initial total commercial quota for

spiny dogfish for the 2001 fishing year

was 4,000,000 lb (1,814 mt) (66 FR

22473, May 4, 2001). 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.

The Administrator, Northeast Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator)

monitors the commercial spiny dogfish

quota for each quota period and, based

upon dealer reports, state data and other

available information, determines when

the commercial quota has been

harvested. NMFS is required to publish

a notice 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. The Regional

Administrator has determined, based

upon dealer reports and other available

information, that the 2001 commercial

period 1 quota for spiny dogfish has

been harvested.

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 1 for spiny dogfish no longer

has commercial quota available.

Therefore, effective 0001 hrs local time,

June 22, 2001, landings of spiny dogfish

in coastal states from Maine through

Florida by vessels holding commercial

Federal fisheries permits are prohibited

through October 31, 2001, 2400 hrs local

time. The fishing year 2001 quota period

2 for commercial spiny dogfish harvest

will open on November 1, 2001.

Effective June 22, 2001, federally

permitted dealers are also advised that

they may not purchase spiny dogfish

from vessels issued federal spiny

dogfish permits that land in coastal

states from Maine through Florida.

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: June 15, 2001.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries,National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–15647 Filed 6–21–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S