61320 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 209 / Tuesday, October 30, 2007 / Proposed Rules 

Rouge area did not attain the 8-hour 

ozone NAAQS by the applicable 

attainment date, to reclassify the Baton 

Rouge area as a moderate ozone 

nonattainment area and to adjust 

applicable deadlines. 

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 81 

Environmental protection, Air 

pollution control, National parks, 

Wilderness areas. 

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401, et seq. 

Dated: October 22, 2007. 

Richard E. Greene, 

Regional Administrator, Region 6. 

[FR Doc. E7–21314 Filed 10–29–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No.: 070817468–7594–01] 

RIN 0648–AV91 

Fisheries of the Northeastern United 

States; Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery; 

Framework Adjustment 20 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS proposes regulations to 

implement Framework Adjustment 20 

(Framework 20) to the Atlantic Sea 

Scallop Fishery Management Plan 

(FMP), which was developed by the 

New England Fishery Management 

Council (Council). Framework 20 would 

maintain in effect the interim measures 

that were enacted by NMFS on June 21, 

2007, to reduce the potential for 

overfishing the Atlantic sea scallop 

(scallop) resource and excessive scallop 

mortality resulting from deck loading. 

The action reduces the number of 

scallop trips to the Elephant Trunk 

Access Area (ETAA), and prohibits the 

retention of more than 50 U.S. bushels 

(17.62 hL) of in-shell scallop outside of 

the boundaries of the ETAA. The 

proposed rule also clarifies that the 

current restriction on landing no more 

than one scallop trip per calendar day 

for vessels fishing under general 

category rules does not prohibit a vessel 

from leaving on a scallop trip on the 

same calendar day that the vessel 

landed scallops. Framework 20 would 

extend these interim measures, which 

are scheduled to expire on December 23, 

2007, through the end of the scallop 

fishing year on February 29, 2008. 

Framework 20 would make the 

clarification of the restriction on landing 

more than one trip per calendar day 

permanent under the Scallop FMP. 

DATES: Comments must be received at 

the appropriate address or fax number 

(see ADDRESSES) by 5 p.m., local time, 

on November 14, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by RIN number 0648–AV91, 

by any one of the following methods: 

• Electronic submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal http:// 

www.regulations.gov; 

• Fax: (978) 281–9135; 

• Mail: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional 

Administrator, NMFS, Northeast 

Regional Office, One Blackburn Drive, 

Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside 

of the envelope, ‘‘Comments on Scallop 

Framework 20.’’

Instructions: all comments received 

are a part of the public record and will 

generally be posted to http:// 

www.regulations.gov without change. 

All Personal Identifying Information (for 

example, name, address, etc.) 

voluntarily submitted by the commenter 

may be publically accessible. Do not 

submit Confidential Business 

Information or otherwise sensitive or 

protected information. 

NMFS will accept anonymous 

comments. Attachment to electronic 

comments will be accepted in Microsoft 

Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe 

PDF file format only. 

Copies of Framework 20 and its 

Regulatory Impact Review (RIR), 

including the Initial Regulatory 

Flexibility Analysis (IRFA), are 

available on request from Paul J. 

Howard, Executive Director, New 

England Fishery Management Council, 

50 Water Street, Newburyport, MA 

01950. These documents are also 

available online at http:// 

www.nefmc.org. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don 

Frei, Fishery Management Specialist, 

978–281–9221; fax 978–281–9135. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Interim measures currently in effect 

were enacted to supercede measures 

that were scheduled to go into effect on 

January 1, 2007, under Framework 18 to 

the FMP (Framework 18). The interim 

action was enacted in response to 

findings of the Scallop Plan 

Development Team (PDT), which 

advised the Council on November 7, 

2006, that reducing the number of trips 

in the ETAA, delaying the opening, and 

prohibiting ‘‘deckloading,’’ would 

reduce the potential for overfishing the 

scallop resource in 2007. The Council 

voted in November 2006 to recommend 

that NMFS implement interim measures 

consistent with the PDT’s 

memorandum. On December 22, 2006, 

(71 FR 76945) NMFS implemented an 

interim final rule adopting these 

recommendations. This interim final 

rule was extended on June 21, 2007, (72 

FR 29889) and is scheduled to expire on 

December 23, 2007. 

Framework 20 would maintain the 

provisions of the interim action that: (1) 

Reduced the number of trips from five 

trips to three trips for full-time scallop 

vessels in the ETAA (scallop possession 

limit would remain at 18,000 lb); (2) 

reduced the number of trips from three 

trips to two trips (for all access areas) for 

part-time scallop vessels in the ETAA 

(scallop possession limit for part-time 

vessels would be increased from 16,800 

lb (7,620 kg) per trip to 18,000 lb (8,165 

kg) per trip); (3) reduced the occasional 

vessel possession limit from 10,500 lb 

(4,763 kg) per trip to 7,500 lb (3,402 kg) 

per trip; (4) reduced the general category 

scallop fleet ETAA trip allocation from 

1,360 trips to 865 trips; and (5) 

prohibited the retention or deck loading 

(i.e., leaving a high volume of scallops 

on deck after leaving an access area so 

that the scallops can be shucked on the 

way in) of more than 50 U.S. bushels 

(17.62 hL) of in-shell scallop outside of 

the boundaries of the ETAA. 

The Council developed Framework 20 

to prevent the Framework 18 measures 

from reverting back into effect when the 

interim measures expire on December 

23, 2007. If this were to happen, it 

would restore the higher trip allocations 

and allow additional effort by the fleet, 

resulting in overfishing for the last 2 

months (January and February 2008) of 

the 2007 fishing year (FY). Such an 

outcome would undermine the effect of 

the interim measures in preventing 

overfishing. 

Proposed Measures 

1. ETAA Trip Reduction 

Framework 20 would maintain the 

reduction in the number of trips from 

five trips to three trips for full-time 

scallop vessels in the ETAA (scallop 

possession limit would remain at 18,000 

lb (8,165 kg)); the reduction in the 

number of trips from three trips to two 

trips (for all access areas) for part-time 

scallop vessels in the ETAA (scallop 

possession limit for part-time vessels 

remains at 16,800 lb (7,620 kg) per trip); 

and the reduction in the occasional 

vessel possession limit from 10,500 lb 


rmajette on PROD1PC64 with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 209 / Tuesday, October 30, 2007 / Proposed Rules 61321 

(4,763 kg) per trip to 7,500 lb (3,402 kg) 

per trip. The regulations at 

§ 648.60(a)(5) published for Framework 

18 specified that an occasional vessel’s 

possession limit is 7,500 lb (3,402 kg) 

per trip. However, Framework 18 

intended and analyzed a possession 

limit of 10,500 lb (4,763 kg) per trip for 

the 2007 FY. Framework 20 would also 

maintain the reduction in the general 

category scallop fleet trip allocation 

from 1,360 to 865 trips in the ETAA. 

Reducing the number of trips for 

scallop vessels in the ETAA would 

address the concern that overfishing of 

the scallop resource may occur in 2007. 

Although the biomass in the ETAA 

remains very high relative to the rest of 

the scallop resource, it is less abundant 

than was projected in Framework 18. As 

a result, even though the fishing 

mortality is expected to be lower than 

the target fishing mortality in the area, 

it would be high enough at the lower 

biomass to contribute to overfishing in 

2007. Part-time vessels would have a 

trip reduction with an increase in the 

possession limit to ensure that the total 

access area catch for part-time vessels 

remains at 40 percent of the full-time 

access area catch, as intended by the 

FMP. Occasional vessels would have 

one trip to any access area, but have a 

possession limit of 7,500 lb (3,402 kg) 

for the trip, ensuring that the total 

access area catch for occasional vessels 

remains at 8.3 percent of the full-time 

access area catch. Reducing trips in the 

ETAA was contemplated in Framework 

18 and the potential impacts of the trip 

reductions were fully analyzed in 

Framework 18. 

2. Prohibition on Deckloading 

Framework 20 maintains the 

prohibition on the retention of more 

than 50 U.S. bushels (17.62 hL) of inshell scallop outside of the boundaries 

of the ETAA for vessels on ETAA trips. 

Deckloading is the practice of loading 

the deck of a vessel with the scallop 

catch from several tows. Under the 

current Access Area regulations, vessels 

can deckload and leave the area, and the 

vessel crews can spend the time 

steaming home sorting and shucking 

scallops, thereby reducing overall trip 

costs. This can result in a vessel having 

more scallops on board than are 

necessary to achieve the possession 

limit. The excess scallops are discarded. 

In addition, due to deckloading, 

scallops remain on deck longer, 

increasing discard mortality. In the 

ETAA, deckloading may cause even 

higher scallop mortality, since catch 

rates are expected to be very high, there 

is a mix of scallop sizes in the area, and 

scallop crews may discard smaller 

scallops in favor of larger scallops. 

Although the amount of additional 

mortality cannot be estimated, 

prohibiting deckloading on ETAA trips 

is a complementary measure that will 

help prevent additional scallop 

mortality. 

3. Regulatory Change 

Framework 20 would also implement 

a regulatory change to make the 

regulations consistent with the original 

intent of Amendment 4 to the FMP 

(Amendment 4). Amendment 4 

intended that general category scallop 

vessels could not land scallops on more 

than one trip per calendar day. NMFS 

implemented the scallop regulations 

consistent with this intent until it was 

recently discovered that the regulations, 

as written, prohibit such vessels from 

‘‘fishing for’’ scallops more than once 

per calendar day. This prohibited a 

vessel from leaving on a scallop trip on 

a calendar day if scallops had 

previously been landed that day. The 

general category scallop industry is 

concerned that interpreting the 

regulation this way may encourage 

unsafe fishing behavior to avoid the 

‘‘one trip per calendar day’’ restriction. 

Therefore, to make the regulations 

consistent with Amendment 4, NMFS is 

proposing a regulatory change that 

would prohibit a general category 

scallop vessel from landing scallops on 

more than one trip per calendar day, but 

would allow vessels to depart on a 

subsequent scallop trip on the same 

calendar day that the vessel landed 

scallops. 

Classification 

NMFS has determined that this 

proposed rule is consistent with the 

FMP and has preliminarily determined 

that the rule is consistent with the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act and other 

applicable laws. 

This proposed rule has been 

determined to be not significant for 

purposes of Executive Order 12866. 

An initial IRFA was prepared, as 

required by section 603 of the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA). The 

IRFA describes the economic impact 

this proposed rule, if adopted, would 

have on small entities. A description of 

the action, why it is being considered, 

and the legal basis for this action are 

contained at the beginning of this 

section in the preamble and in the 

SUMMARY section of the preamble. A 

copy of this analysis is available from 

the Council (see ADDRESSES). A 

summary of the analysis follows. 

Description of the Small Business 

Entities 

The proposed regulations 

implementing Framework 20 would 

affect vessels with limited access 

scallop and general category permits. 

According to NMFS Northeast Region 

permit data as of October 2006, 351 

vessels were issued limited access 

scallop permits, with 318 full-time, 32 

part-time, and 1 occasional limited 

access permit issued. In addition, 2,501 

open access general category permits 

were issued. All of the vessels in the 

Atlantic sea scallop fishery are 

considered small business entities 

because all of them grossed less than $3 

million according to landings data for 

the period 2004 to 2006. According to 

this information, annual revenue from 

scallops averaged over a million dollars 

per limited access vessel in 2005. Total 

revenues per vessel were higher when 

revenues from species other than 

scallops were included, but still 

averaged less than $3 million per vessel. 

Average scallop revenue per general 

category vessel was $88,702 in 2005, 

though it exceeded $240,000 when 

revenue from other species was 

included. 

Proposed Reporting, Recordkeeping, 

and Other Compliance Requirements 

There are no new reporting, 

recordkeeping, or other compliance 

requirements associated with the 

measures proposed in Framework 20. 

Economic Impacts of the Proposed 

Measures and Alternatives 

The proposed regulations 

implementing Framework 20 were 

developed to ensure that scallop 

landings and economic benefits would 

be kept to sustainable levels. Therefore, 

overall positive economic impacts are 

expected as a result of preventing 

overfishing. The prohibition on 

deckloading on ETAA trips is expected 

to help prevent additional scallop 

mortality associated with discards and 

thus would improve yield, revenues, 

and economic benefits from the 

resource. The owners of vessels that fish 

for scallops would benefit over the longterm if overfishing is prevented. There 

was strong industry support for the 

proposed action in public testimony 

before the Council at the meeting when 

it adopted Framework 20. 

A range of alternatives was 

considered in Framework 18 including: 

Scallop fishery specifications for 2006 

and 2007 (open area days-at-sea and 

scallop access area trip allocations); 

scallop area rotation program 

adjustments; a seasonal closure of the 


rmajette on PROD1PC64 with PROPOSALS
61322 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 209 / Tuesday, October 30, 2007 / Proposed Rules 

ETAA; and revisions to management 

measures that would improve 

administration of the FMP. Most of the 

alternatives in Framework 18 were not 

considered by the Council in 

Framework 20 because they would have 

been outside the scope of the action 

intended to implement the interim 

measures through the end of the 2007 

fishing year. The only measure in 

Framework 18 relevant to Framework 20 

is the measure that allowed the Regional 

Administrator to reduce the number of 

ETAA trips through a rulemaking 

procedure based on biomass trigger 

points and resulting trip reductions that 

were included in the scallop 

regulations. NMFS could not use that 

procedure because the trip reduction 

recommended by the Council was based 

on overall fishing mortality, not the 

specified trigger points in the 

regulations, and NMFS promulgated the 

interim rule for the ETAA. The 

economic impacts of the reduction of 

ETAA trips through the Framework 18 

rulemaking procedure, and the no 

action alternative to that measure, were 

fully analyzed in Framework 18 and are 

the basis of the economic impacts 

analysis of Framework 20. 

The only other alternative the Council 

considered in Framework 20 was 

therefore to take no action. If no action 

had been taken, the Framework 18 

measures would revert back into effect, 

which would increase the number of 

trips for full-time scallop vessels in the 

ETAA to five trips (an increase of two 

trips) and general category vessels 

would be allocated 1,360 trips (an 

increase of 495 trips). There is a very 

high likelihood that the additional trips 

would be taken because the scallops can 

be caught efficiently in the ETAA and 

the value of scallops is high. This would 

increase the potential that the additional 

fishing activity during January and 

February 2008 would lead to overfishing 

in the 2007 FY. Overfishing would have 

had negative impacts on scallop 

biomass, with landings, revenues and 

economic benefits likely to decline in 

future years as a result. The Council 

found this to be unacceptable and 

adopted the reduced number of trips in 

the ETAA under Framework 20 to 

prevent this outcome. NMFS proposes 

regulations consistent with the 

Council’s recommendation for the same 

reasons. 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 648 

Fisheries, Fishing, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements. 

Dated: October 24, 2007. 

Samuel D. Rauch III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator For 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

For the reasons set out in the 

preamble, 50 CFR part 648 is proposed 

to be amended as follows: 

PART 648—FISHERIES OF THE 

NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 

1. The authority citation for part 648 

continues to read as follows: 

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

2. In § 648.14, paragraph (i)(1) is 

removed and reserved, paragraph (i)(2) 

is revised, and paragraphs (h)(27), 

(i)(13), and (i)(14) are added to read as 

follows: 

§ 648.14 Prohibitions. 

* * * * * 

(h) * * * 

(27) Possess more than 50 bu (17.6 hL) 

of in-shell scallops, as specified in 

§ 648.52(d), outside the boundaries of 

the Elephant Trunk Access Area 

specified in § 648.59(e) by a vessel that 

is declared into the Elephant Trunk 

Access Area under the Area Access 

Program as specified in § 648.60. 

(i) * * * 

(1) [Reserved] 

(2) Land scallops on more than one 

trip per calendar day. 

* * * * * 

(13) Fish for or land per trip, or 

possess at any time, in excess of 400 lb 

(181.4 kg) of shucked, or 50 bu (17.62 

hL) of in-shell scallops, unless the 

vessel is participating in the Area 

Access Program specified in § 648.60, is 

carrying an observer as specified in 

§ 648.11, and an increase in the 

possession limit is authorized as 

specified in § 648.60(d)(2). 

(14) Possess more than 50 bu (17.6 hL) 

of in-shell scallops, as specified in 

§ 648.52(d), outside the boundaries of 

the Elephant Trunk Access Area 

specified in § 648.59(e) by a vessel that 

is declared into the Elephant Trunk 

Access Area under the Area Access 

Program as specified in § 648.60. 

* * * * * 

3. In § 648.52, paragraph (e) is added 

to read as follows: 

§ 648.52 Possession and landing limits. 

* * * * * 

(e) Owners or operators of a vessel 

that is declared into the Elephant Trunk 

Access Area Sea Scallop Area Access 

Program as described in § 648.60, are 

prohibited from possessing more than 

50 bu (17.62 hL) of in-shell scallops 

outside of the Elephant Trunk Access 

Area described in § 648.59(e). 

§ 648.58 [Amended] 

4. In § 648.58, paragraph (a) is 

removed and reserved. 

5. In § 648.59, paragraphs (e)(1) and 

(e)(4) are revised to read as follows: 

§ 648.59 Sea Scallop Access Areas. 

* * * * * 

(e) * * * 

(1) From March 1, 2007, through 

February 29, 2012, and subject to the 

seasonal restrictions specified in 

paragraph (e)(3) of this section, a vessel 

issued a scallop permit may fish for, 

possess, or land scallops in or from the 

area known as the Elephant Trunk Sea 

Scallop Access Area, described in 

paragraph (e)(2) of this section, only if 

the vessel is participating in, and 

complies with the requirements of, the 

area access program described in 

§ 648.60. 

* * * * * 

(4) Number of trips—(i) Limited 

access vessels. Based on its permit 

category, a vessel issued a limited 

access scallop permit may fish no more 

than the maximum number of trips in 

the Elephant Trunk Sea Scallop Access 

Area between March 1, 2007, and 

February 29, 2008, as specified in 

§ 648.60(a)(3)(i), unless the vessel owner 

has made an exchange with another 

vessel owner whereby the vessel gains 

an Elephant Trunk Sea Scallop Access 

Area trip and gives up a trip into 

another Sea Scallop Access Area, as 

specified in § 648.60(a)(3)(ii), or unless 

the vessel is taking a compensation trip 

for a prior Elephant Trunk Access Area 

trip that was terminated early, as 

specified in § 648.60(c). 

(ii) General category vessels. Subject 

to the possession limits specified in 

§§ 648.52(a) and (b), and 648.60(g), a 

vessel issued a general category scallop 

permit may not enter in, or fish for, 

possess, or land sea scallops in or from 

the Elephant Trunk Sea Scallop Access 

Area once the Regional Administrator 

has provided notification in the Federal 

Register, in accordance with 

§ 648.60(g)(4), that the 865 trips 

allocated for the period March 1, 2007, 

through February 29, 2008, have been 

taken, in total, by all general category 

scallop vessels, unless transiting 

pursuant to paragraph (f) of this section. 

The Regional Administrator shall notify 

all general category scallop vessels of 

the date when the maximum number of 

allowed trips have been, or are projected 

to be, taken. 

* * * * * 

6. In § 648.60, paragraphs (a)(3)(i), 

(a)(3)(ii)(B), (a)(5)(i), (d)(1)(v), (e)(1)(v), 

and (g)(3)(iv) are revised to read as 

follows: 


rmajette on PROD1PC64 with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 209 / Tuesday, October 30, 2007 / Proposed Rules 61323 

§ 648.60 Sea scallop area access program 

requirements. 

* * * * * 

(a) * * * 

(3) * * * 

(i) Limited Access Vessel trips. (A) 

Except as provided in paragraph (c) of 

this section, paragraphs (a)(3)(i)(B) 

through (E) specify the total number of 

trips that a limited access scallop vessel 

may take into Sea Scallop Access Areas 

during applicable seasons specified in 

§ 648.59. The number of trips per vessel 

in any one Sea Scallop Access Area may 

not exceed the maximum number of 

trips allocated for such Sea Scallop 

Access Area as specified in § 648.59, 

unless the vessel owner has exchanged 

a trip with another vessel owner for an 

additional Sea Scallop Access Area trip, 

as specified in paragraph (a)(3)(ii) of this 

section, has been allocated a 

compensation trip pursuant to 

paragraph (c) of this section. 

(B) Full-time scallop vessels. In the 

2007 fishing year, a full-time scallop 

vessel may take one trip in the Closed 

Area I Access Area, one trip in the 

Nantucket Lightship Access Area, and 

three trips in the Elephant Trunk Access 

Area. 

(C) Part-time scallop vessels. In the 

2007 fishing year, a part-time scallop 

vessel may take one trip in the Closed 

Area I Access Area and one trip in the 

Nantucket Lightship Access Area; or 

one trip in the Closed Area I Access 

Area and one trip in the Elephant Trunk 

Access Area; or one trip in the 

Nantucket Lightship Access Area and 

one trip in the Elephant Trunk Access 

Area; or two trips in the Elephant Trunk 

Access Area. 

(D) Occasional scallop vessels. An 

occasional scallop vessel may take one 

trip in the 2007 fishing year into any of 

the Access Areas described in § 648.59 

that is open during the specified fishing 

years. 

(E) Hudson Canyon Access Area trips. 

In addition to the number of trips 

specified in paragraphs (a)(3)(i) (B) and 

(C) of this section, vessels may fish 

remaining Hudson Canyon Access Area 

trips allocated for the 2005 fishing year 

in the Hudson Canyon Access Area in 

the 2006 and/or 2007 fishing year, as 

specified in § 648.59(a)(3). The 

maximum number of trips that a vessel 

could take in the Hudson Canyon 

Access Area in the 2005 fishing year 

was three trips, unless a vessel acquired 

additional trips through an authorized 

one-for-one exchange as specified in 

paragraph (a)(3)(ii) of this section. Fulltime scallop vessels were allocated three 

trips into the Hudson Canyon Access 

Area. Part-time vessels were allocated 

two trips that could be distributed 

among Closed Area I, Closed Area II, 

and the Hudson Canyon Access Areas, 

not to exceed one trip in the Closed 

Area I or Closed Area II Access Areas. 

Occasional vessels were allocated one 

trip that could be taken in any Access 

Area that was open in the 2005 fishing 

year. 

(ii) * * * 

(B) Limited access scallop vessels 

involved in an exchange of Closed Area 

II and/or Nantucket Lightship Closed 

Area Access Area trips for the 2006 

fishing year, and Elephant Trunk Access 

Area trips for the 2007 fishing year shall 

be subject to a reduction of the vessels’

allocated trips so that the total number 

of allocated Elephant Trunk Access 

Area trips between two vessels that 

were involved in such an exchange shall 

be six for full-time vessels and four for 

part-time vessels in the 2007 fishing 

year. Reductions will be applied equally 

to both vessels’ resulting Elephant 

Trunk Access Area allocation for the 

2007 fishing year after the exchange is 

taken into account, unless the vessel 

giving Elephant Trunk Access Area trips 

to another vessel has one or zero 

Elephant Trunk Access Area trips 

remaining after the exchange. In such a 

case, the vessel that received the 

Elephant Trunk Access Area trips will 

be subject to a reduction of up to four 

Elephant Trunk Access Area trips. 

* * * * * 

(5) * * * 

(i) Scallop possession limits. Unless 

authorized by the Regional 

Administrator, as specified in 

paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, 

after declaring a trip into a Sea Scallop 

Access Area, a vessel owner or operator 

of a limited access scallop vessel may 

fish for, possess, and land, per trip, 

scallops, up to the maximum amounts 

specified in paragraphs (a)(5)(i)(A) and 

(B) of this section. No vessel declared 

into the Elephant Trunk Access Area as 

described in § 648.59(e) may possess 

more than 50 bu (17.62 hL) of in-shell 

scallops outside of the Elephant Trunk 

Access Area described in § 648.59(e). 

(A) Up to 18,000 lb (8,165 kg) of 

shucked scallops for full-time and parttime scallop vessels. 

(B) Up to 7,500 lb (3,402 kg) of 

shucked scallops for occasional scallop 

vessels. 

* * * * * 

(d) * * * 

(1) * * * 

(v) Elephant Trunk Access Area. From 

March 1, 2007, through February 29, 

2008, the observer set-aside for the 

Elephant Trunk Access Area is 173,100 

lb (78.5 mt). 

* * * * * 

(e) * * * 

(1) * * * 

(v) Elephant Trunk Access Area. From 

March 1, 2007, through February 29, 

2008, the research set-aside for the 

Elephant Trunk Access Area is 346,200 

lb (157 mt). 

* * * * * 

(g) * * * 

(3) * * * 

(v) Elephant Trunk Access Area. 

346,000 lb (157 mt) in 2007. 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 07–5384 Filed 10–25–07; 2:44 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 


rmajette on PROD1PC64 with PROPOSALS