[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 182 (Tuesday, September 21, 2010)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 57407-57409]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-23528]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 635

[Docket No. 100315147-0403-02]
RIN 0648-XV31


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; North and South Atlantic 
Swordfish Quotas

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This final rule adjusts the North and South Atlantic swordfish 
quotas for the 2010 fishing year (January 1, 2010, through December 31, 
2010) to account for 2009 underharvest and implement International 
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) 
Recommendations 09-02 and 09-03, which maintain the U.S. allocation of 
the international total allowable catch (TAC). This rule could affect 
commercial and recreational fishing for swordfish in the Atlantic 
Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, by establishing 
annual quotas, although generally the levels of fishing effort and 
quota are expected to be similar to those previously published for the 
years 2008 through 2010.

[[Page 57408]]


DATES: This rule is effective from October 21, 2010, through December 
31, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the supporting documents--including the 2007 
Environmental Assessment (EA), Regulatory Impact Review (RIR), Final 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA), and the 2006 Consolidated 
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP)--
are available from the HMS Web site at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Delisse Ortiz or Karyl Brewster-Geisz 
by phone: 301-713-2347 or by fax: 301-713-1917.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  The U.S. Atlantic swordfish fishery is 
managed under the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP. Implementing regulations 
at 50 CFR part 635 are issued under the authority of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), 
16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA), 
16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. Regulations issued under the authority of ATCA 
carry out the recommendations of ICCAT as necessary and appropriate.
    Information on the specific measures laid out in the proposed rule 
can be found in 75 FR 35432 (June 22, 2010) and are not repeated here. 
A brief summary of the actions in this final rule can be found below.

North Atlantic Swordfish Quota

    This final rule adjusts the total available quota for the 2010 
fishing year (January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2010) to account 
for 2009 underharvest and transfers 18.8 metric tons (mt) dressed 
weight (dw) to Canada from the reserve category in the North Atlantic 
in conformance with ICCAT Recommendation 09-02, which extended the 
provisions of ICCAT Recommendation 6-02 through 2010.
    The 2010 North Atlantic swordfish baseline quota is 2,937.6 mt dw. 
The total North Atlantic swordfish underharvest for 2009 was 2,524.2 mt 
dw, which exceeds the maximum carryover cap of 1,468.8 mt dw, 
established in ICCAT Recommendation 06-02 and extended by ICCAT 
Recommendation. Therefore, NMFS is carrying forward the amount allowed 
by the recommendation. Thus, the baseline quota plus the underharvest 
carryover maximum of 1,468.8 mt dw equals an adjusted quota of 4,406.4 
mt dw for the 2010 fishing year (Table 1).

South Atlantic Swordfish Quota

    The 2010 South Atlantic swordfish baseline quota is 75.2 mt dw. The 
total South Atlantic swordfish underharvest for 2009 was 150.4 mt dw, 
which exceeds the maximum carryover cap of 75.2 mt dw, established in 
ICCAT Recommendation 06-03 and extended by ICCAT Recommendation 09-02. 
In addition, under ICCAT Recommendation 09-03, 100 mt ww (75.2 mt dw) 
of U.S. quota for 2010 was transferred to other countries. Therefore, 
NMFS is carrying over the capped amount and transferring the 75.2 mt dw 
from the available underharvest in the South Atlantic swordfish quota 
to other countries per the ICCAT recommendation. As a result, the 
baseline quota plus the underharvest carryover maximum of 75.2 mt dw, 
substracted by the transfer of 100 mt ww (75.2 mt dw) to other 
countries equal an adjusted quota of 75.2 mt dw for the 2010 fishing 
year (Table 1).

Response to Comments

    NMFS received two comments on the proposed rule which are 
summarized below, together with NMFS's responses.
    Comment: NMFS received one comment in opposition to the 
establishment of North and South Atlantic commercial swordfish quotas. 
The first comment, made anonymously, expressed general opposition to 
the establishment of quotas for this fishery. The second comment, made 
by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, supports the proposed 
rule.
    Response: The establishment of annual swordfish quotas is necessary 
to comply with ICCAT Recommendation 06-02 (extended via ICCAT 
Recommendation 09-02) and 06-03 (extended via ICCAT Recommendation 09-
03). Under ATCA, the United States is obligated to implement the ICCAT-
approved recommendations as necessary and appropriate to achieve 
domestic management objectives under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Changes From the Proposed Rule

    The final rule is not substantially changed from the proposed rule.

               Table 1--Landings and Quotas for the Atlantic U.S. Swordfish Fisheries (2005-2010)
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  North Atlantic Swordfish Quota
             (mt dw)                   2005         2006         2007         2008         2009          2010
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Baseline Quota...................      2,937.6      2,937.6      2,937.6      2,937.6      2,937.6       2,937.6
Quota Carried Over...............      3,359.1      4,691.2      1,468.8      1,468.8      1,468.8       1,468.8
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    Adjusted quota...............      6,296.7      7,628.8      4,406.4      4,406.4      4,406.4       4,406.4
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Quota Allocation:
    Directed Category............      5,895.2      7,246.1      3,601.9      3,620.7      3,639.5       3,658.3
    Incidental Category..........        300.0        300.0        300.0        300.0        300.0         300.0
    Reserve Category.............        101.5         82.7        504.5        485.7        466.9         448.1
Utilized Quota:
    Landings.....................      1,471.8      1,291.5      1,167.5      1,695.7      1,863.4           TBD
    Reserve Transfer to Canada...         18.8         18.8         18.8         18.8         18.8          18.8
Total Underharvest...............      4,806.1      6,318.5      3,220.1      2,691.9      2,524.20          TBD
Dead Discards....................        114.9        154.9        149.2        149.8        TBD             TBD
Carryover Available \+\..........      4,691.2      1,468.8      1,468.8      1,468.8      1,468.8           TBD
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[[Page 57409]]


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  South Atlantic Swordfish Quota
              (mt dw)                   2005         2006         2007         2008         2009         2010
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Baseline Quota....................         75.2         90.2         75.2         75.2         75.2         75.2
Quota Carried Over................        319.3        394.5         75.2         75.2         75.2          0.0
                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Adjusted quota................        394.5        484.7        150.4        150.4        150.4         75.2
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Landings..........................          0.0          0.0          0.0          0.0          0.0          TBD
Carryover Available...............        394.5         75.2         75.2         75.2         *0.0          TBD
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+ Under harvest is capped at 50 percent of the baseline quota allocation for the North Atlantic and 100 mt ww
  (75.2 dw) for the South Atlantic.
* Under 09-03, 100 mt ww of the U.S. underharvest was transferred to Namibia (50 mt ww, 37.6 mt dw), Cote d'
  Ivore (25 mt ww, 18.8 mt dw), and Belize (25 mt ww, 18.8 mt dw).

Classification

    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries has determined that this 
final rule is necessary for the conservation and management of Atlantic 
swordfish and that it is consistent with the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP, 
the Magnuson-Stevens Act, ATCA, and other applicable law.
    This final rule has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce 
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business 
Administration during the proposed rule stage that this action would 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. The factual basis for the certification was published in the 
proposed rule and is not repeated here. No comments were received 
regarding this certification. As a result, a regulatory flexibility 
analysis was not required and none was prepared.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. and 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.

    Dated: September 15, 2010.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator For Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-23528 Filed 9-20-10; 8:45 am]
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