30182 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 116 / Friday, June 14, 1996 / Rules and Regulations

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joseph H. Dettmar, (202) 927–5660.

[TDD for the hearing impaired: (202)

927–5721.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Commission instituted a rulemaking

proceeding (60 FR 39143, August 1,

1995) in response to a petition filed May

25, 1994, by the Municipality of

Anchorage, AK. Petitioner requested,

inter alia, that short notice increase

publications for intermodal motor/water

service to and from Alaska be sent to

subscribers the same day the filings are

sent to the Commission [Board]. The full

text of the new regulation is set forth

below. The Board is requiring that short

notice publications, including (1) short

notice publications involving all

noncontiguous domestic trade traffic,

and not only the intermodal Alaska

trade; and (2) rate decreases as well as

increases, generally be sent to

subscribers on the date the publications

are sent to the Board for filing.

Additional information is contained

in the Board’s decision. To obtain a

copy of the full decision, write to, call,

or pick up in person from: DC NEWS &

DATA, INC., Room 2229, 1201

Constitution Avenue, N.W.,

Washington, DC 20423. Telephone:

(202) 289–4357/4359. [Assistance for

the hearing impaired is available

through TDD services (202) 927–5721.]

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

We certify that the new regulation

will not have a significant economic

impact on a substantial number of small

entities within the meaning of the

Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601,

et seq.) because the rule affects only the

mailing date for notification.

Environmental and Energy

Considerations

The rule will not significantly affect

either the quality of the human

environment or the conservation of

energy resources because the proposal

merely changes time frames for notice.

We conclude that an environmental

assessment is not necessary under our

regulations because the proposed action

would not result in changes in carrier

operations that exceed the thresholds

established in our regulations. See 49

CFR 1105.6(c)(2).

List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 1312

Freight forwarders, Maritime carriers,

Motor carriers, Moving of household

goods, Pipelines.

Decided: May 29, 1996.

By the Board, Chairman Morgan, Vice

Chairman Simmons, and Commissioner

Owen.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

For the reasons set forth in the

preamble, title 49, chapter X, part 1312

is amended as follows:

PART 1312—REGULATIONS FOR THE

PUBLICATION, POSTING AND FILING

OF TARIFFS, SCHEDULES AND

RELATED DOCUMENTS OF MOTOR,

PIPELINE AND WATER CARRIERS,

AND HOUSEHOLD GOODS FREIGHT

FORWARDERS

1. The authority citation for part 1312

is revised to read as follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 553; 49 U.S.C. 721,

13701, 13702, and 13521.

2. Section 1312.6, paragraph (b)(2) is

revised to read as follows:

§ 1312.6 Furnishing copies of tariff

publications.

* * * * *

(b) * * *

(2) Newly-issued tariffs, supplements,

or loose-leaf pages, including shortnotice publications, shall be sent to each

subscriber not later than the time the

copies for official filing are sent to the

Board, except that with the advance,

written permission of the subscriber,

any publication may be sent not later

than 5 working days after the time the

copies are sent to the Board.

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 96–15161 Filed 6–13–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 285

[I.D. 060596A]

Atlantic Tuna Fisheries; Bluefin Tuna

Adjustments

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Bluefin tuna catch limit

adjustment.

SUMMARY: NMFS takes this inseason

action to reopen the Angling category

fishery for large school and small

medium Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ABT)

and to adjust daily catch limits for the

Angling category fishery to one fish per

angler, which may be from the school or

large school size class, and, in addition,

one fish per vessel from the small

medium size class ABT. This action is

being taken to lengthen the fishing

season and ensure reasonable fishing

opportunities in all geographic areas

without risking overharvest of this

category.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The daily catch limit

adjustment is effective June 18, 1996,

through December 31, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William Hogarth, 301–713–2347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Regulations implemented under the

authority of the Atlantic Tunas

Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.)

governing the harvest of ABT by persons

and vessels subject to U.S. jurisdiction

are found at 50 CFR part 285.

Implementing regulations for the

Atlantic tuna fisheries at § 285.24 allow

for inseason adjustments to the daily

catch limits in order to lengthen the

fishing season and ensure reasonable

fishing opportunities for all geographic

areas. The Assistant Administrator for

Fisheries, NOAA, may increase or

reduce the per-angler catch limit for any

size class bluefin tuna or may change

the per-angler limit to a per-boat limit

or a per-boat limit to a per-angler limit.

The 1996 quota of ABT allocated to

the Angling category has been adjusted

to 243 metric tons (mt) by a final rule

effective June 18, 1996. The portion of

this recreational catch that may be taken

in large school and small medium ABT

is 100 mt. As of June 5, 1996,

preliminary estimates of recreational

fishery landings of ABT between 47

inches (119 cm) and 73 inches (185 cm)

total 60 mt. Due to earlier projections on

ABT catch by this fishing category, the

daily catch limit for ABT was set at one

fish per vessel per day (61 FR 8223,

March 4, 1996), and subsequently, the

fishery for large school and small

medium ABT was closed (61 FR 11336,

March 20, 1996).

With the adjusted quota for the

Angling category and the revised catch

estimates, sufficient quota remains to

exercise the regulatory authority for

inseason adjustments to reopen the large

school/small medium category. In

addition, the daily catch limit for ABT

is adjusted to one fish per angler, which

may be from the school or large school

size class, and one small medium size

class ABT may be landed per vessel.

Fishing for, retention, possessing, or

landing large medium or giant ABT by

vessels in the Angling category or

Charter/Headboat category was

previously closed (61 FR 8223, March 4,

1996) to prevent overharvest of the

quota established for that category. This
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 116 / Friday, June 14, 1996 / Rules and Regulations 30183

current action has no effect on that prior

closure. Recreational anglers may

continue to fish for large medium and

giant ABT under the NMFS tag-andrelease program (§ 285.27).

Subsequent adjustments to the daily

catch limit, if any, shall be announced

through publication in the Federal

Register. In addition, anglers may call

the Highly Migratory Species

Information Line at 301–713–1279 for

updates on quota monitoring and catch

limit adjustments. Anglers aboard

Charter/Headboat and General category

vessels, when engaged in recreational

fishing for school, large school, and

small medium ABT, are subject to the

same rules as anglers aboard Angling

category vessels.

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR

285.20(b) and 50 CFR 285.22 and is

exempt from review under E.O. 12866.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.

Dated: June 10, 1996.

Richard H. Schaefer,

Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and

Management, National Marine Fisheries

Service.

[FR Doc. 96–15114 Filed 6–11–96; 9:47 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

50 CFR Part 285

[Docket No. 960416112–6164–02; I.D.

030896D]

RIN 0648–AI29

Atlantic Tuna Fisheries; Annual

Quotas and Effort Controls

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: NMFS amends the regulations

governing the Atlantic tuna fisheries to:

Set Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABT) fishing

category quotas for the 1996 fishing

year, revise allocations to monthly quota

periods and establish the effort control

schedule in the ABT General category,

allow the partial transfer of quotas

among Purse Seine category permit

holders and amend landing

requirements, and increase minimum

sizes for Atlantic yellowfin and bigeye

tunas. The regulatory amendments are

necessary to implement the 1994

recommendation of the International

Commission for the Conservation of

Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) regarding

fishing quotas for bluefin tuna, as

required by the Atlantic Tunas

Convention Act (ATCA), and to achieve

domestic management objectives.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The rule is effective

June 18, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Copies of supporting

documents, including an Environmental

Assessment Regulatory Impact Review

(EA/RIR), are available from, William

Hogarth, Acting Chief, Highly Migratory

Species Management Division, Office of

Fisheries Conservation and Management

(F/CM), NMFS, 1315 East-West

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910–

3282.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William Hogarth, 301–713–2347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Atlantic tuna fisheries are managed

under regulations at 50 CFR part 285

issued under the authority of ATCA.

ATCA authorizes the Secretary of

Commerce (Secretary) to implement

regulations as may be necessary to carry

out the recommendations of ICCAT. The

authority to implement ICCAT

recommendations has been delegated

from the Secretary to the Assistant

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA

(AA).

Background information about the

need for revisions to Atlantic tunas

fishery regulations was provided in the

proposed rule (61 FR 18366, April 25,

1996) and is not repeated here. These

regulatory changes will improve NMFS’

ability to implement the ICCAT

recommendations and further the

management objectives for the Atlantic

tuna fisheries:

Fishing Category Quotas

The ABT fishing category quotas for

the 1996 fishing year are as follows:

General category—541 mt; Harpoon

Boat category—53 mt; Purse Seine

category—251 mt; Angling category—

243 mt; Incidental category—110 mt;

and Reserve—108 mt.

The Angling category quota is

subdivided as follows: No more than 5

mt may be large medium or giant ABT;

no more than 138 mt may be school

ABT; and the quota for school ABT is

further subdivided as 65 mt for the

southern area and 73 mt for the northern

area.

The Incidental category quota is

subdivided as follows: 109 mt for

longline vessels, no more than 86 mt in

the southern area; and 1 mt for vessels

taking ABT incidental to fishing with

other authorized gear.

General Category Effort Controls

The General category quota is

distributed as follows: 25 percent in

June-July; 35 percent in August; 30

percent in September; and 10 percent in

October-December. These percentages

are applied only to the base quota of 531

mt, with the remaining 10 mt being

reserved for the New York Bight fishery

in October. Thus, of the 531 mt total,

133 mt is available in the period

beginning June 1 and ending July 31;

186 mt is available in the period

beginning August 1 and ending August

31; 159 mt is available in the period

beginning September 1 and ending

September 30; and 63 mt (53 mt based

on 10 percent, plus 10 mt New York

Bight fishery) is available in the period

beginning October 1 and ending

December 31.

Attainment of quota in any period

will result in a closure until the

subsequent period, whereupon any

underharvest or overharvest would be

carried over to the subsequent period to

adjust the base quota for that period.

Inseason closures will be filed at the

Office of the Federal Register, stating the

effective date of closure, and announced

through local media and over NOAA

weather radio.

In 1995, daily closures (Sunday,

Monday, and Wednesday) were

implemented to lengthen the fishing

season. This rule removes Wednesday

as a restricted fishing day and includes

Tuesday as a restricted fishing day.

Having three consecutive days closed

will increase the likelihood of

accomplishing the objective of

temporarily extending the fishing

season by facilitating enforcement of the

daily closures.

Under this rule, the effective period of

the effort controls is limited to mid-July

through mid-September, corresponding

to the historical period when catch rates

are highest. Also, some adjustments to

the effort control schedule are made to

reflect increased fishing activity on

holiday weekends and market closures

in Japan. Thus, persons aboard vessels

permitted in the General category or the

Charterboat/Headboat category would

not be allowed to fish for, catch, retain

or land large medium or giant ABT on

designated restricted fishing days: July

14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, and 30;

August 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 19, 20,

25, 26, and 27; and September 3, 8, 9,

10, 15.

Purse Seine Requirements

This rule implements, for the Purse

Seine category alone, a more flexible

method of allocation of the domestic

U.S. quota. Individual purse seine

allocations of bluefin tuna quota are

transferable, in whole or in part, to any

other purse seine vessel permitted in the

Atlantic tunas fisheries. Wholesale or

partial transfers of allocation require

written notice to NMFS 3 days in