51492 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 213 / Monday, November 6, 2017 / Proposed Rules 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No. 160301163–7971–01] 

RIN 0648–BF82 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

Provisions; Fisheries of the 

Northeastern United States; Essential 

Fish Habitat 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: This action proposes 

regulations to implement the New 

England Fishery Management Council’s 

Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat 

Amendment 2. This rule would revise 

essential fish habitat and habitat area of 

particular concern designations, revise 

or create habitat management areas to 

protect vulnerable habitat from fishing 

gear impacts, establish dedicated habitat 

research areas, and implement several 

administrative measures related to 

reviewing these measures. This action is 

necessary to comply with the 

requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act to periodically review essential fish 

habitat designations and the protection 

of such habitats. The proposed measures 

are intended to minimize to the extent 

practicable the adverse effects of fishing 

on essential fish habitat. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

December 5, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by NOAA–NMFS–2017–0123, 

by either of the following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal. 

1. Go to www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2017- 

0123; 

2. Click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon 

and complete the required fields; and 

3. Enter or attach your comments. 

• Mail: Submit written comments to 

John K. Bullard, Regional 

Administrator, National Marine 

Fisheries Service, 55 Great Republic 

Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the 

outside of the envelope, ‘‘Comments on 

the Proposed Rule for OA2.’’ 

Instructions: Comments sent by any 

other method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the end of 

the comment period, may not be 

considered by us. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted for public 

viewing on www.regulations.gov 

without change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address, etc.), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the sender will 

be publicly accessible. We will accept 

anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in 

the required fields if you wish to remain 

anonymous). 

Copies of the Omnibus Essential Fish 

Habitat Amendment 2, including the 

Environmental Impact Statement, the 

Regulatory Impact Review, and the 

Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 

(EIS/RIR/IRFA) prepared by the New 

England Fishery Management Council 

in support of this action are available 

from Thomas A. Nies, Executive 

Director, New England Fishery 

Management Council, 50 Water Street, 

Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. The 

supporting documents are also 

accessible via the Internet at: http://

www.nefmc.org/library/omnibushabitat-amendment-2 or http://

www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Moira Kelly, Senior Fishery Program 

Specialist, phone: 978–281–9218, 

Moira.Kelly@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents 

1. General Background 

2. Essential Fish Habitat Designations 

3. Habitat Areas of Particular Concern 

Designations 

4. Spatial Management for Adverse Effects 

Minimization 

5. Spawning Protection Measures 

6. Dedicated Habitat Research Areas 

7. Framework Adjustments and Monitoring 

8. Description of Regulatory Changes 

1. General Background 

This action would implement the 

management measures in the Omnibus 

Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2 

(OA2). The Council deemed the 

proposed regulations consistent with 

and necessary to implement OA2 in a 

March 27, 2017, letter from Council 

Chairman Dr. John Quinn to Regional 

Administrator John Bullard. Under the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act, we 

are required to publish proposed rules 

for comment after preliminarily 

determining whether they are consistent 

with applicable law. The MagnusonStevens Act permits us to approve, 

partially approve, or disapprove 

measures proposed by the Council 

based only on whether the measures are 

consistent with the fishery management 

plan, plan amendment, the MagnusonStevens Act and its National Standards, 

and other applicable law. Otherwise, we 

must defer to the Council’s policy 

choices. We are seeking comment on the 

Council’s proposed measures in OA2. 

OA2 was initiated in 2004 to review 

and update the essential fish habitat 

(EFH) components of all the New 

England Fishery Management Council’s 

fishery management plans (FMP). OA2 

was developed over several years. The 

first phase of OA2 development was 

dedicated to (1) updating the EFH 

designations, (2) considering and 

designating Habitat Areas of Particular 

Concern (HAPC), and (3) updating prey 

species lists and non-fishing habitat 

impacts. The remainder of the 

development focused on (1) revising the 

system of year-round closed areas that 

restrict some types of fishing gear in 

order to protect vulnerable habitat and 

(2) establishing a system of Dedicated 

Habitat Research Areas (DHRA). Prior to 

consideration of management area 

changes, the Council determined it was 

important to consider revisions to the 

year-round groundfish closures in 

conjunction with this action because of 

the substantial overlap with the habitat 

management closures. This action also 

includes revisions to the EFH and HAPC 

designations that were initially 

approved by the Council in 2007 as well 

as an update of the non-fishing impacts 

evaluation. 

The Council established 10 goals and 

14 objectives to guide the development 

of this action. Goals 1–8 were 

established in 2004 at the onset of the 

Amendment’s development and focus 

on identification of EFH; fishing and 

non-fishing activities that may adversely 

affect EFH; and the development of 

measures and management programs to 

conserve, protect, and enhance EFH and 

to minimize to the extent practicable the 

adverse effects of fishing on EFH. The 

additional goals (9 and 10) were 

developed after the Council voted to 

incorporate revisions to the groundfish 

closures in the Amendment. These goals 

are focused on enhancing groundfish 

productivity, including protection of 

spawning groundfish, and maximizing 

the societal net benefits from groundfish 

stocks. 

The 14 objectives map to one or more 

of the Amendment’s goals and provide 

more guidance on achieving each goal. 

For example, the objectives include 

identifying new data sources upon 

which to base the EFH designations 

(Objective A), developing analytical 

tools for EFH designation, minimization 

of adverse impacts, and monitoring the 

effectiveness of measures (Objective D; 


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Goals 1, 3, and 5). Other objectives 

include modifying fishing methods to 

reduce impacts (Objective E; Goal 4), 

supporting the restoration of degraded 

habitat (Objective F; Goal 4), improving 

groundfish spawning protection, 

including protection of localized 

spawning contingents, and improving 

protection of critical groundfish habitats 

(Goals 9 and 10). Please see Volume 1, 

Section 3 of the EIS for more details on 

the goals and objectives of this 

Amendment. 

2. Essential Fish Habitat Designations 

The Magnuson-Stevens Act defines 

EFH as ‘‘those waters and substrate 

necessary to fish for spawning, 

breeding, feeding, or growth to 

maturity.’’ The EFH regulations (50 CFR 

part 600, subpart J) require councils to 

describe and identify EFH in text that 

clearly states the habitats or habitat 

types determined to be EFH for each life 

stage of a managed species and in maps 

that display the geographic locations of 

EFH or within which EFH for each 

species and life stage is found. Further, 

FMPs should explain the physical, 

biological, and chemical characteristics 

of EFH and, if known, how these 

characteristics influence the use of EFH 

for the species/life stage. The EFH 

regulations state that councils should 

periodically review the EFH provisions 

of FMPs and revise or amend as 

warranted, based on available 

information, and that a complete review 

of all EFH information should be 

conducted at least once every five years. 

The Council initiated this review of EFH 

designations to comply with these 

requirements. 

A full description of the updated EFH 

designations, including maps and text 

designations, can be found in Volume 2 

of the EIS. In addition, a thorough 

discussion of the data sources and 

methods used to assemble the 

designations is provided in Appendix A 

to the EIS. Another appendix (Appendix 

B) includes supplementary EFH 

information (e.g., prey species, 

temperature and salinity preferences) 

for each species and life stage not 

included in the EFH text descriptions in 

Volume 2 that may be considered when 

the potential effects of any fishing or 

non-fishing activity that could adversely 

affect EFH are evaluated. The quality 

and quantity of information varied by 

species, so a single approach for all 

Council-managed species and life stages 

was not possible. The Council relied 

upon the best available scientific 

information for each species and life 

stage. This rule proposes to approve all 

of the Council’s recommendations for 

EFH designations. 

3. Habitat Area of Particular Concern 

Designations 

Habitat Areas of Particular Concern 

(HAPC) highlight specific types or areas 

of habitat within EFH that are 

particularly vulnerable to human 

impacts. An area’s status as an HAPC 

should lead to special attention 

regarding the adverse effects from 

fishing or other activities in the 

designated area. An HAPC designation 

does not provide any specific habitat 

management measures, such as gear 

restrictions, and none are proposed as 

part of the HAPC designations in this 

amendment. Management measures are 

discussed under ‘‘Spatial Management 

for Adverse Effects Minimization,’’ #4 

below. 

HAPC designations should be based 

on one or more of the following criteria: 

(1) The importance of the ecological 

function provided by the habitat, 

including both the historical and 

current ecological function; (2) the 

extent to which the habitat is sensitive 

to human-induced environmental 

degradation; (3) whether, and to what 

extent, development activities are, or 

will be, stressing the habitat type; and 

(4) the rarity of the habitat type (50 CFR 

600.815(a)(8)). The Council solicited 

and considered HAPC proposals from 

the public and added selection criteria, 

including whether the designation 

would improve fisheries management in 

the EEZ; whether it included EFH for 

more than one Council-managed species 

or specifically for juvenile cod; and 

whether it met more than one of the 

regulatory HAPC criteria listed above. 

Discussion of the areas considered and 

the degree to which they satisfied the 

eight criteria listed above can be found 

in Volume 2 of the EIS. 

The Council is recommending that the 

current Atlantic Salmon HAPC and the 

Northern Edge Juvenile Cod HAPC 

remain as designated because they 

continue to meet the criteria listed 

above. In addition, the Council is 

recommending the following areas as 

new HAPCs: Inshore Juvenile Cod 

HAPC; Great South Channel Juvenile 

Cod HAPC; Cashes Ledge HAPC; 

Jeffreys Ledge/Stellwagen Bank HAPC; 

Bear and Retriever Seamount HAPC; 

and 11 canyon/canyon complexes. Maps 

and coordinates for the HAPC 

designations can be found in Volume 2 

of the EIS. A summary of the rationale 

for each designation (or set of 

designations) is provided below. 

Detailed discussion of the rationale is 

provided in Volume 2, Section 3 of the 

EIS. 

Inshore Juvenile Cod HAPC 

The Inshore Juvenile Cod HAPC 

consists of the inshore areas of the Gulf 

of Maine and Southern New England 

between mean high water and a depth 

of 20 meters. Aside from some limited 

gaps, this HAPC is continuous along the 

coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, 

Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The 

Council contends that the Inshore 

Juvenile Cod HAPC would meet all of 

the criteria listed above, except for 

rarity. The purpose of this HAPC is to 

recognize the importance of inshore 

areas to juvenile Atlantic cod. The 

coastal areas of the Gulf of Maine and 

Southern New England contain 

structurally complex rocky-bottom 

habitat that support a wide variety of 

emergent epifauna and benthic 

invertebrates. Although this habitat type 

is not rare in the coastal Gulf of Maine, 

it provides two key ecological functions 

for juvenile cod: Protection from 

predation; and readily available prey. 

Given its proximity to shore, it is 

especially subject to anthropogenic 

impacts, particularly non-fishing 

impacts. 

Great South Channel Juvenile Cod 

HAPC 

The Great South Channel Juvenile 

Cod HAPC consists of juvenile cod 

habitat on the western side of the Great 

South Channel within the boundaries 

specified in the EIS. This designation 

recognizes the importance of the area for 

its high benthic productivity and 

complex hard bottom habitats, which 

provide food and refuge from predation 

for cod and other managed species. 

Similar to the Inshore Cod HAPC, this 

HAPC meets all of the stated criteria, 

except rarity. This area is sensitive to 

anthropogenic stresses and contains 

habitat features that are sensitive to the 

adverse effects of bottom trawling, 

scallop dredging, and clam dredging. 

Some of the nearshore portions are also 

susceptible to non-fishing, coastal 

development stresses. 

Cashes Ledge HAPC 

This action would designate the 

existing Cashes Ledge Habitat Closure 

Area as an HAPC. This area differs from 

the proposed modified Cashes Ledge 

Habitat Management Area (see #4, 

below) in that the western boundary of 

the proposed new management area is 

shifted east, slightly reducing its size 

relative to the HAPC. The Council 

contends that this HAPC meets all of the 

criteria stated, including rarity. This 

designation highlights the unique 

characteristics of Cashes Ledge and its 

importance as habitat for a variety of 


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managed species. The benthic habitat 

features on Cashes Ledge are susceptible 

to anthropogenic stresses, particularly 

fishing impacts. 

Jeffreys Ledge/Stellwagen Bank HAPC 

The existing Western Gulf of Maine 

Habitat Closure Area would be 

additionally designated as the Jeffreys 

Ledge/Stellwagen Bank HAPC through 

this action. The purpose of this 

designation is to recognize the 

importance of the area as habitat for a 

variety of species and, similar to most 

of the other HAPCs proposed, it meets 

all the criteria, except for rarity. This 

area is vulnerable to a wide-range of 

human-induced impacts, including 

vessel discharges from cruise ships and 

cargo vessels, future sand and gravel 

mining operations, and fiber-optic cable 

and pipeline construction. It is also 

susceptible to future impacts from 

activities such as offshore aquaculture, 

wind energy facilities, and other energyrelated infrastructure. Further, the 

habitat features within this area are 

sensitive to fishing gear impacts, 

particularly from mobile bottom-tending 

gears. 

Canyon and Seamount HAPCs 

Sixteen canyons and two seamounts 

would be designated as HAPCs. These 

HAPCs were designated because of their 

unique deep-water habitats, especially 

as they relate to deep-sea corals and the 

overall function of the ecosystem. The 

HAPCs would be as follows: Bear and 

Retriever Seamounts (to a depth of 2,000 

m); Heezen Canyon, Lydonia, Gilbert, 

and Oceanographer Canyons; 

Hydrographer Canyon; Veatch Canyon; 

Alvin and Atlantis Canyons; Hudson 

Canyon; Toms, Middle Toms, and 

Hendrickson Canyons; Wilmington 

Canyon; Baltimore Canyon; Washington 

Canyon; and Norfolk Canyon. The table 

below shows how the canyon and 

seamount proposals meet the HAPC 

criteria. 

TABLE 1—HAPC CRITERIA AND THE CANYON AND SEAMOUNT HAPCS

Bear and 

retriever 

seamounts 

Canyon HAPCs 

Important ecological function ......................................................... Yes .......... Yes. 

Sensitive to anthropogenic stress ................................................. Yes .......... Yes. 

Presence of current or future stress .............................................. No ............ Yes. 

Rarity .............................................................................................. Yes .......... No. 

Improve fisheries management ..................................................... Yes .......... Yes. 

EFH for more than one species .................................................... No ............ Yes. 

Juvenile cod EFH .......................................................................... No ............ Very slight overlap in Lydonia/Oceanographer HAPC. 

More than one final rule criteria .................................................... Yes .......... Yes. 

Seamount habitats are rare, but they 

are not currently subject to 

anthropogenic impacts, or expected to 

be in the near future. The biological 

communities within the canyons and on 

the seamounts are sensitive to 

anthropogenic disturbance. However, 

only the shallower and less steep parts 

of the canyons are generally accessible 

to fishing for species such as monkfish, 

squid, offshore hake, and others. Traps 

used to catch lobster and red crab are 

generally the only gears used in the 

deeper parts of the canyons themselves. 

Potential threats posed by non-fishing 

activities such as oil and gas exploration 

and drilling are not currently of 

concern. 

As described in the EIS, the HAPCs 

are non-regulatory designations. The 

designations are intended to provide for 

increased attention when habitat 

protection measures are considered. 

HAPCs that are vulnerable to the 

potential impacts from fishing warrant 

special attention when determining 

appropriate management measures to 

minimize, compensate, or mitigate those 

impacts. 

4. Spatial Management for Adverse 

Effects Minimization 

The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires 

that fishery management plans evaluate 

and minimize, to the extent practicable, 

the adverse effects of fishing on EFH. 

The evaluation should consider the 

effects of each fishing activity on each 

type of habitat found within EFH. 

Councils must prevent, mitigate, or 

minimize any adverse effects from 

fishing on EFH, to the extent 

practicable, if there is evidence that a 

fishing activity adversely affects EFH in 

a manner that is more than minimal and 

not temporary in nature. 

To evaluate the adverse effects of 

fishing on EFH, the Council spent a 

considerable amount of time developing 

the Swept Area Seabed Impact (SASI) 

model. The SASI model combines 

fishing effort and habitat vulnerability 

estimates into a spatial representation. 

Fishing effort across multiple gear types 

was converted to a common ‘‘currency’’ 

of swept area, i.e., the amount of area 

impacted by the gear when the bottom 

is contacted during fishing operations. 

Habitat vulnerability is a relative 

measure of the magnitude of the 

susceptibility of bottom habitats to 

fishing and the recovery potential of 

affected geological and biological 

habitat features. It is based on the type 

and structural features of the habitat, 

and the degree of natural disturbance 

caused by bottom currents and storms. 

For example, an area that is exposed to 

a high degree of natural disturbance is 

more resilient to additional impacts 

from fishing gear than an area of similar 

habitat type that is exposed to a lower 

degree of natural disturbance. Estimates 

of susceptibility to fishing and how 

quickly individual habitat features 

recover from those impacts are also 

incorporated. These estimates are linked 

spatially to a substrate model grid, for 

which the final output is a sensitivityadjusted area swept in km2 for each grid 

cell and gear type. Running the model 

without any realized fishing effort data 

for any given gear type (i.e., by setting 

the contact-adjusted swept area 

parameter to a constant in all grid cells) 

produced ‘‘maps’’ of simulated relative 

habitat vulnerability scores for the 

entire area where spatial management 

was considered in this amendment. The 

SASI model was reviewed at two 

separate times during its development: 

First by the Council’s Scientific and 

Statistical Committee; and later by an 

independent peer review team. It was 

determined to be appropriate for use in 

fishery management decisions. A 

detailed discussion of the SASI model 

can be found in Appendix D to the EIS. 

In order to translate the results of the 

SASI model into something that could 

be used in the fishery management 

process, the Council’s Plan 

Development Team (PDT) ran a Local 

Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) 

analysis on the outputs from the habitat 

vulnerability model runs for generic 

groundfish trawls. This analysis 

highlighted areas where the high 


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vulnerability results from the SASI 

model clustered together. The PDT then 

examined the clusters and made initial 

suggestions on where boundaries 

around the vulnerable habitat areas 

could be drawn for fishery management 

purposes. 

The Council, primarily through its 

Habitat Committee, then developed a 

series of potential areas for habitat 

management. In some cases, the areas 

were existing management areas or 

relatively minor adjustments to those 

areas. In other cases, new areas were 

identified based on output from the 

SASI model, independent sources of 

topographical and substrate data, and/or 

input from fishermen or environmental 

groups. 

In addition to specifying the area to be 

managed, there were several options for 

gear restrictions for each area within a 

sub-region, although not all 

management options were available for 

all areas. Those options included: 

(1) Complete restriction on the use of 

mobile bottom-tending gear; 

(2) Restrictions on the use of mobile 

bottom-tending gear, except hydraulic 

clam dredges; 

(3) A requirement that bottom trawl 

vessels use ground cables modified with 

20-centimeter (cm) diameter elevating 

discs, spaced at 5 fathoms, with a length 

side not to exceed 45 fathoms (no 

restriction on dredges); 

(4) A requirement that bottom trawl 

vessels eliminate ground cables and to 

limit bridle lengths at 30 fathoms per 

side; 

(5) Complete restriction on gears 

capable of catching groundfish (only 

applicable to Eastern Gulf of Maine 

alternative 2); 

(6) Closure to all gear types managed 

under a Federal fishery management 

plan (only applicable to Ammen Rock); 

(7) A requirement that trawls use 

ground gear no more than 12 inches 

(30.5 cm) in diameter (only applicable 

to the Western Gulf of Maine 

alternatives 7a and 7b); 

(8) A restriction on the use of mobile 

bottom-tending gear, except shrimp 

trawls (only applicable to Western Gulf 

of Maine alternative 8); and 

(9) A restriction on the use of mobile 

bottom-tending gear, except scallop 

vessels if allowed under a rotational 

fishing program, and groundfish gear in 

the area currently open to fishing (only 

applicable to Georges Bank alternative 

10). 

The Council determined that given 

the workload and expertise on the PDT, 

an additional technical team should be 

convened to develop potential habitat 

management areas focused on the two 

added groundfish-specific goals. This 

group, called the Closed Area Technical 

Team or CATT, was composed of staff 

of the Council, Greater Atlantic Regional 

Fisheries Office, Northeast Fisheries 

Science Center, and other technical 

staff. The CATT used a hotspot analysis 

of fishery independent survey data to 

locate areas where particularly 

vulnerable juvenile and spawning 

groundfish aggregate at different times 

of year. The CATT-based areas were 

incorporated into the SASI-based areas 

by modifying the boundary of a 

particular area or creating a new area 

entirely. The Council’s Scientific and 

Statistical Committee reviewed the 

CATT’s analysis and determined it was 

appropriate for use in fishery 

management decisions. A full 

description of the CATT’s hotspot 

analysis can be found in Section 2.1 of 

Volume 5 and in Appendix E of the EIS. 

Because these processes resulted in so 

many potential areas and combinations 

of areas, the Habitat Committee 

determined that sub-dividing the 

analyses and decision-making process 

would better represent the fishing stocks 

and areas involved. The sub-regions 

became Eastern Gulf of Maine, Central 

Gulf of Maine, Western Gulf of Maine, 

Georges Bank, and Great South 

Channel/Southern New England. The 

PDT and CATT held a series of joint 

meetings to develop initial ‘‘packages’’ 

of areas within each sub-region that 

were likely to achieve the stated goals 

and objectives of the amendment. These 

packages formed the basis for the many 

alternatives in the Amendment. In each 

sub-region, the Council considered 

eliminating all spatial habitat 

management in order to fully describe 

the range of impacts and to provide the 

ability to mix and match across subregions to find a practicable solution. 

The sub-regional packages were then 

modified by the Committee and the 

Council during a series of public 

meetings, until the Council took action 

in February 2014 to select initial 

preferred alternatives for public 

hearings. The Council held public 

hearings and accepted comments until 

January 2015 on these sets of preferred 

alternatives. 

Following the public hearings and in 

response to the public comments, the 

Council selected its recommended 

measures over the course of two 

meetings in April and June 2015. The 

April meeting covered all 

recommendations, except for the 

Georges Bank habitat management areas 

and the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank 

spawning alternatives (see #5 for more 

information). The Council’s preferred 

alternatives and a brief description of 

the Council’s rationale for its 

preferences are included below. For a 

thorough discussion of the other 

alternatives considered and the 

potential impacts from those 

alternatives, please see Volumes 3, 4, 

and 5 of the EIS. Coordinates and maps 

of all areas can be found in Volume 3 

of the EIS. 

Eastern Gulf of Maine 

In the Eastern Gulf of Maine, the 

Council recommends establishing the 

Small Eastern Maine Habitat 

Management Area (HMA), closed to all 

mobile bottom-tending gears. (Note, the 

proposed regulations refer to this area as 

simply the ‘‘Eastern Maine HMA.’’) The 

EIS notes that the Council selected this 

area as preferred because it expects this 

alternative to protect habitats of similar 

species as the larger area that was 

considered, but with fewer economic 

impacts on the fishing industry. In 

terms of protection of vulnerable 

habitats and designated EFH coverage, 

the proposed area ranks towards the 

middle of the areas considered for this 

sub-region. Because there is currently 

no habitat management area in the 

eastern Gulf of Maine, implementing a 

mobile bottom-tending gear closure in 

any area represents an improvement in 

groundfish habitat protection in this 

sub-region. However, bottom trawls and 

dredges are used sparingly in any of the 

areas that the Council considered and 

lobster traps are not subject to any of the 

regulations in this amendment. 

Therefore, no short-term reductions in 

the adverse impacts of fishing in this 

sub-region are expected. 

Central Gulf of Maine 

In the Central Gulf of Maine, the 

Council recommends maintaining the 

existing Cashes Ledge Groundfish 

Closure Area and modifying the existing 

Jeffreys Bank and Cashes Ledge Habitat 

Closure Areas, with their current fishing 

restrictions and exemptions; 

establishing the Fippennies Ledge 

HMA, closed to mobile bottom-tending 

gears; and establishing the Ammen Rock 

HMA, closed to all fishing except 

lobster traps. 

The EIS describes the variety of 

reasons that the Council selected these 

areas as preferred. Maintaining the 

existing Cashes Ledge Groundfish 

Closure Area with the existing 

management restrictions was a muchdebated decision. Because the 

groundfish closure areas prohibit gears 

capable of catching groundfish, 

including those that have minimal 

impact on habitat, many felt that the 

groundfish areas in their entirety ought 

to be removed because there are other 

existing measures in the FMP designed 


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to control groundfish mortality. 

However, the Council is recommending 

that the Cashes Ledge Groundfish 

Closure Area remain closed to 

commercial gears capable of catching 

groundfish in order to support the goals 

and objectives of this action that were 

added to improve the protection of 

juvenile and spawning groundfish 

habitats. Maintaining this closure will 

also ensure that a more diverse array of 

bottom habitats that support a greater 

variety of species remain protected from 

fishing impacts. The other 

recommended actions in this sub-region 

are modifications to the existing Cashes 

Ledge and Jeffreys Bank habitat 

closures. These modifications were 

designed to more closely align with the 

location of the shallower, hard-bottom 

habitats and to increase fishery access to 

the deeper, less vulnerable mud and 

sand habitats that surround the ledges. 

Ammen Rock on top of Cashes Ledge is 

a unique feature within the Gulf of 

Maine and features kelp forest habitat 

that would benefit from enhanced 

protection, which is why there are 

additional management restrictions in 

that area. Fippennies Ledge is an 

additional hard bottom feature within 

the Cashes Ledge Groundfish Closure 

Area that would be protected by 

maintaining the status quo groundfish 

closure. However, the Council 

determined that in the event that the 

Cashes Ledge Groundfish Closure Area 

is modified or removed at some point in 

the future, Fippennies still warrants 

protection from the adverse effects of 

mobile bottom-tending gear. In terms of 

habitat protection and benefits to 

groundfish resources, both the proposed 

alternative and the existing habitat 

protection measures rank high. 

Western Gulf of Maine 

In the Western Gulf of Maine, the 

Council recommends maintaining the 

existing Western Gulf of Maine Habitat 

Closure Area, closed to mobile bottomtending gears, and modifying the eastern 

boundary of the Western Gulf of Maine 

[Groundfish] Closure Area to align with 

the habitat closure area, while 

maintaining the current fishing 

restrictions and requirements. The 

Council also recommends creating an 

exemption area within the northwest 

corner of those closures for shrimp 

trawls and designating the existing 

Roller Gear Restricted Area 

requirements as a habitat protection 

measure. 

The EIS describes the Council’s 

rationale for these areas in greater detail. 

In summary, these areas were selected 

to maintain decades’ worth of 

protections in this region, while 

modestly increasing access to the 

eastern edge of the area. The shrimp 

exemption was designed to minimize 

the economic impact on a fleet whose 

gear has minimal habitat impact, when 

authorized to operate. The roller gear 

restriction has been required for several 

years and was originally implemented 

through Framework Adjustment 27 to 

the Northeast Multispecies Fishery 

Management Plan to minimize cod 

mortality by preventing trawl gear from 

fishing over rocky substrate. As such, it 

has been a de facto habitat protection 

measure and the Council wanted to note 

it formally as such. The Council is 

recommending the removal of 23 

percent of the existing Western Gulf of 

Maine Groundfish Closure Area, which 

was closed to all gears capable of 

catching groundfish in 1995, to make its 

eastern boundary align with the 

boundary of the habitat closure. The 

Council is making this recommendation 

because it concluded that this reduction 

would still provide sufficient 

conservation for cod and other depleted 

stocks, while increasing fishing access 

to the eastern side of the area. The EIS 

characterizes habitats in the long, 

narrow area that would be newly 

opened to fishing as deeper mud 

habitats that are less vulnerable to 

fishing, but notes the presence of 

Wildcat Knoll, a hard bottom feature 

located in shallower water near the 

southeast corner of the existing 

groundfish closure. 

The proposed area includes 

comparable amounts of vulnerable and 

diverse habitats as the two smaller 

inshore Bigelow Bight areas. The 

Bigelow Bight Areas contain more EFH, 

particularly for overfished large-mesh 

groundfish species, and more juvenile 

groundfish hotspots. However, the 

Council concluded that it was 

impracticable to impose fishing 

prohibitions in either of the inshore 

areas because a significant amount of 

bottom trawling activity would be 

affected, particularly for the smaller 

boat fleet that would be less able to 

travel farther offshore to compensate for 

the reduction in access near shore. The 

Council concluded that its preferred 

alternative would have the same level of 

positive impacts on habitat and 

groundfish resources as the existing 

closures, with the same economic 

benefits. 

Georges Bank 

On Georges Bank, the Council 

recommends removing the year-round 

and habitat closures of Closed Areas I 

and II and replacing them with three 

new areas: (1) The Georges Shoal 2 

HMA, closed to mobile bottom-tending 

gear, with a 1-year delay in closure to 

hydraulic clam dredges; (2) the 

Northern Edge Reduced Impact HMA, 

closed to mobile bottom-tending gear, 

with two exceptions described below; 

and (3) the Northern Edge Mobile 

Bottom-Tending Gear HMA, closed to 

mobile bottom-tending gear without any 

exceptions. Exemptions to the Reduced 

Impact HMA are scallop dredge fishing 

in accordance with the scallop 

rotational area program, and trawl 

fishing to the west of the existing 

western boundary of Closed Area II 

(67°20′W long.), in what is now the 

Eastern Georges Bank Special Access 

Program. In addition, any portions of 

the Closed Area II groundfish closed 

area north of 41°30′N lat. would be 

closed to scallop fishing between June 

15 and October 31 of each year. The 

remainder of the existing Closed Area I 

Habitat and Groundfish Closure Areas 

and Closed Area II Groundfish Closure 

Area would be opened, except for 

seasonal spawning protection as 

described below in #5 (Groundfish 

Spawning Measures). Volume 3 of the 

EIS describes the Council’s rationale in 

detail. 

The Council’s proposed changes 

would open an area that has been closed 

to mobile bottom-tending fishing gear 

for over 20 years. It would allow 

rotational scallop dredge fishing along 

the northern edge of Georges Bank. A 

portion of the Northern Edge HMA that 

would be opened to rotational limited 

access scallop dredging as part of the 

Council’s preferred alternative includes 

the northern portion of an area 

designated as a Habitat Area of 

Particular Concern in 1998 and 

reaffirmed in this amendment due to the 

ecological importance and vulnerability 

of the area for juvenile cod. 

The Council reasons that the potential 

economic benefits of allowing rotational 

scallop fishing on the northern edge 

outweigh the potential benefits to 

juvenile cod and cod stock recovery that 

would accrue from leaving the area 

closed. The scallop fishery has averaged 

over $490 million in revenue over the 

past 5 years. The potential increases in 

revenue for the scallop fishery from 

2017–2039 range from $189 million ((3 

percent discount rate) or $169 million 

using a 7-percent discount rate)) in 2018 

to a decrease in value of $5 million ((3 

percent discount rate) or $4 million 

using a 7-percent discount rate)) in 

2020. The discount rate is the rate used 

to determine present value of current 

cash flows. Guidance for implementing 

the Regulatory Flexibility Act uses both 

a 3-percent discount rate and a 7- 

percent discount rate because, while 7 

percent is a recent estimate of the 


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average before-tax rate of return to 

private capital, historically, the rate has 

averaged 3 percent. Volume 5, Section 

6.2.2 of the EIS describes the economic 

effect of the Council’s proposals on the 

scallop fishery in detail. The EIS uses 

2015 constant dollars and the scallop 

fishery’s established models for 

projecting biomass and revenue. The 

Council’s proposed recommendations 

would result in a potential additional 

$60 million–$62 million (annualized in 

accordance with the Regulatory Impact 

Analysis Circular A–4, in 2016 dollars) 

to the scallop fishery. 

In contrast, while there is a lot of 

uncertainty in the stock assessment, the 

Georges Bank cod stock is in poor 

condition. The Council concluded that 

the proposed alternative would be less 

beneficial to the groundfish resources in 

that sub-region than the existing 

closures, but would be moderately 

positive relative to no habitat protection 

measures. 

The Council provides that the gear 

restrictions in the Georges Shoal HMA 

and the mobile bottom-tending gear 

closure south of the Northern Edge 

Reduced Impact HMA offset the 

increased impacts that would occur 

from opening the northern edge to 

rotational scallop fishing and special 

access bottom trawling activity in the 

future. The Council defines an area of 

reduced impact as being intermediate 

between full closure to mobile bottomtending gear and open access fishing. 

The delayed closure for clam dredges in 

the Georges Shoal HMA was included to 

minimize the economic impact on the 

clam industry while exemptions in 

more specific areas of less vulnerable 

bottom habitat within the HMA could 

be developed. The scallop access 

program would rotate the dredge 

impacts according to the Scallop FMP’s 

conditions for opening an area 

(generally based on the biomass of 

scallops within the area, overfishing 

definitions, and achievement of 

optimum yield). Groundfish trawling 

occurs already in the area to the west of 

the existing closure, but other gears, 

including scallop dredges outside of the 

access area program and clam dredges, 

would be prohibited. The seasonal 

closure for scallop vessels was included 

to mitigate gear conflicts with the 

lobster fishery. 

The area that the Council is proposing 

to open to limited access scallop 

dredging has been closed to most types 

of bottom tending fishing gear for over 

20 years. During this time, the biological 

community has fully recovered from 

any adverse effects of fishing that 

occurred prior to the closure, thus 

maximizing the habitat value of the area 

and its vulnerability to renewed gear 

impacts. A fully recovered community 

includes epifaunal species that are more 

susceptible to the first few passes of 

bottom-tending fishing gear than a 

recently disturbed community. For this 

reason, bottom habitats in the area are 

more at risk from the impacts of scallop 

dredges and bottom trawls than other 

areas that are currently open to these 

gears or have been protected for less 

time. Therefore, the potential impacts of 

even a limited amount of renewed 

bottom fishing in the proposed area 

need to be carefully evaluated. 

As expressed several times 

throughout the Council decision 

process, NMFS has identified several 

significant concerns regarding the 

Council’s preferred alternative in this 

sub-region. Our concerns focus on 

whether the proposals for this region 

support the requirement of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act to minimize 

adverse effects from fishing; if the 

proposals achieve the Council’s stated 

objectives of ‘‘improved protection of 

critical groundfish habitats;’’ and, if the 

impacts of scallop fishing in the more 

vulnerable portion of the Juvenile Cod 

HAPC were adequately considered and 

addressed when the preferred 

alternative was selected. 

This amendment provides no habitat 

factors for considering the degree of 

scallop fishing that may be allowed in 

this area. While the area would be 

opened to scallop fishermen on a 

rotational basis, the extent and duration 

of the openings is otherwise unlimited. 

We are concerned about how this 

uncertain fishing effort will affect such 

a uniquely vulnerable area with such 

habitat importance to groundfish. 

We are also concerned that there is no 

analysis showing that if the scallop 

fishery continues to have access only 

outside the existing Northern Edge 

HAPC that it would result in an actual 

cost to the industry. The analysis shows 

that there would continue to be 

opportunity costs from a lack of access 

to an area that contains scallops. 

However, continuing to prohibit mobile 

bottom-tending gear fishing along the 

northern edge is not expected to result 

in direct financial loss to the scallop 

industry because the area has been 

closed since 1995. The Scallop FMP 

allows increased fishing opportunities 

in open areas to compensate for lost 

access to biomass in closed areas, which 

can mitigate the economic impact from 

maintaining the current habitat 

protections in this area. This mitigation 

has been occurring since the closure in 

1995 and would continue if the area 

continued to be closed to scallop 

fishing. Further, recruitment to the 

fishery of the large 2014 year class in 

open areas on Georges Bank and 

Southern New England is expected to 

increase landings and revenue in the 

scallop fishery starting in 2018. 

We are concerned that the other two 

recommended areas on Georges Bank 

may not sufficiently compensate for the 

adverse impacts from opening the 

Northern Edge Reduced Impact HMA. 

The habitat value of the Georges Shoal 

HMA is low, judging from its high 

proportion of unstable sandy substrate 

and low EFH value. As described in 

Volume 3 of the EIS, the Georges Shoal 

HMA has one of the lowest EFH 

scores—a measure of how many species 

and life stages utilize the area—of any 

potential management area, despite its 

relatively large size. The primary mobile 

bottom-tending gear used in this area is 

the hydraulic clam dredge, a gear that 

would not be allowed to continue 

fishing in this area after a 1-year delay 

in effectiveness. There is no scallop 

fishing and very little bottom trawling 

activity in the area. It is not known 

whether clam dredges here are used in 

more vulnerable hard bottom habitats as 

they are east of Nantucket Island. If they 

are, then a prohibition on their use in 

the Georges Shoal HMA could reduce 

the adverse impacts of current fishing 

activity on EFH to some extent. 

Bottom trawling by groundfish vessels 

would continue in the small portion of 

this area west of the current western 

boundary of Closed Area II. The area 

within Closed Area II that is located 

south of the HAPC, and includes a 

portion of the HAPC, contains a smaller 

percentage (but roughly the same 

amount) of the more stable and 

vulnerable hard bottom substrates that 

dominate the shallower portion of the 

northern edge where scallop fishing 

would be allowed. This area has been 

closed to mobile bottom-tending gears 

for over 20 years, and would continue 

to protect some vulnerable habitat on 

eastern Georges Bank, but without any 

improvement relative to the status quo 

protections that are already in place on 

Georges Bank. 

A related concern with these areas is 

that the alternative does not appear to 

improve protection of critical 

groundfish habitats or improve refuge 

for critical groundfish life history stages 

in this sub-region—two of the Council’s 

objectives of the amendment. The 

northern edge of Georges Bank is known 

to provide highly suitable gravel, 

cobble, and boulder habitat for small 

juvenile groundfish such as cod and 

haddock. This habitat type is 

particularly vulnerable to the adverse 

effects of mobile bottom-tending gear 

such as scallop dredges. As discussed 


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above, allowing this area to be fished 

without sufficiently compensating for 

the impacts of mobile bottom-tending 

gear would appear to reduce 

protections, not improve them. 

Finally, the Council recognized the 

ecological importance and vulnerability 

of the northern edge in 1998 by 

designating the Northern Edge Juvenile 

Cod HAPC and re-affirming its status as 

a juvenile cod HAPC in this 

amendment. Because of this 

designation, special attention should be 

given to this area when developing 

management measures to minimize the 

adverse effects of fishing on EFH. 

However, we are concerned that 

appropriate consideration was not given 

to the impacts of scallop dredging on 

the specific habitat features that warrant 

designation as an HAPC. 

The HAPC has been closed to mobile 

bottom-tending gear since January 1995. 

The habitat factors that favor the 

survival of juvenile cod and that should 

be considered when determining the 

degree to which this area would be 

subject to scallop dredging in the future 

are not defined in this action. Scallop 

access areas have generally been open 

for one or two years in a row, every 

third year. Research has shown that the 

recovery times for some vulnerable 

benthic organisms that inhabit the 

northern edge of Georges Bank exceed 5 

years and complete recovery may take 

as long as 10 years. These recovery 

times appear to be incompatible with 

the standard rotational timeframe of the 

scallop access program. 

NMFS is seeking comment on both 

the Council’s rationale and our stated 

concerns. Specifically, we are focused 

on whether the Council’s preferred 

alternatives minimize to the extent 

practicable the adverse effects of fishing; 

how the recommended measures meet 

the Council’s stated goals and objectives 

of the Amendment; and whether the 

designation of an HAPC has been duly 

considered. 

Great South Channel/Southern New 

England 

In the Great South Channel, the 

Council recommends establishing the 

Great South Channel HMA. The 

northeast corner of the HMA (12.5 

percent of the area) would be closed to 

all mobile bottom-tending gears. The 

effective date of the closure would be 

delayed by 1 year for hydraulic clam 

dredges throughout the remainder of the 

area. The Council is working to identify 

sub-areas that are less vulnerable to 

clam gear to determine if further 

exemptions are warranted and where 

they should be located in order to 

minimize impacts to EFH, but allow 

some amount of fishing to continue. The 

Council is also recommending 

establishing two small HMAs on Cox 

Ledge, closed to hydraulic clam 

dredges, and prohibiting ground cables 

on trawls fishing in the areas. No other 

mobile bottom-tending gears would be 

affected. The Nantucket Lightship 

Habitat Closure Area and the Nantucket 

Lightship Closed Area would be 

removed. 

Throughout the development of the 

action, the Council’s technical team 

expressed concern that the ground cable 

restriction measures would not 

minimize the habitat impacts of fishing. 

NMFS reiterated these concerns several 

times throughout the development of 

OA2 management measures. Ground 

cables account for a significant portion 

of a bottom trawl’s seabed impact. 

However, the sediment clouds they 

create ‘‘herd’’ fish toward the opening of 

the net. The proposed gear 

modifications would reduce the 

effectiveness of the gear and, in all 

likelihood, cause vessels to fish longer 

in order to compensate for reduced 

catch rates. No studies of the trade-offs 

between reduced impacts of ground 

cable removal and the duration or 

frequency of bottom trawl tows were 

cited in the EIS for OA2. 

The Council’s recommendation of the 

Great South Channel HMA is a 

compromise between the larger Great 

South Channel East HMA (Alternative 

3), located further to the east, and the 

slightly smaller Nantucket Shoals HMA 

(Alternative 5), located further to the 

west, closer to Nantucket Island. Bottom 

habitats in these areas are a mixture of 

less stable sand and more stable gravel, 

cobble, and boulder substrates and 

support fisheries for groundfish, clams, 

and scallops. The two most significant 

fisheries in the area are for surfclams 

and scallops. Scallop dredging is almost 

entirely restricted to deeper water along 

the western side of the Great South 

Channel and to an area east of Cape 

Cod. Clam dredging occurs in a large 

area of mixed bottom types in shallower 

water to the west. While the Council 

recognized the likelihood of negative 

economic impacts of these alternatives 

on the clam fishery, they were also 

concerned about the negative effects of 

hydraulic dredges on complex habitats 

occurring in the region. 

There are two proposed HAPCs in this 

sub-region, the Inshore Juvenile Cod 

HAPC includes waters off the 

Massachusetts coast to 20 m deep, and 

overlaps slightly with the Nantucket 

Shoals and Nantucket Shoals West 

HMAs. The Great South Channel 

Juvenile Cod HAPC includes additional 

waters north and east of the HMAs to a 

depth of 120 m and partially overlaps 

the Council’s preferred alternative in 

this sub-region. 

Results of the habitat impact analyses 

in the EIS indicate that the Council’s 

recommendation would have positive 

habitat impacts compared to leaving the 

habitat and groundfish closures in the 

Nantucket Lightship area in place, even 

with the 1-year delay in closure for clam 

dredges in most of the area. Impacts to 

groundfish resources would be 

approximately the same for both the 

existing and proposed measures. The 

proposed measures would have a 

slightly negative economic impact on 

the groundfish fishery, and a highly 

negative economic impact on the clam 

fishery after the 1-year delay expires. 

5. Groundfish Spawning Measures 

The Council has considered how to 

most effectively manage fishing during 

the spawning periods of key fish in 

several actions. During the development 

of this Amendment, the Council 

recommended, and NMFS 

implemented, several modifications to 

spawning protections for cod and other 

groundfish through Framework 

Adjustments 45 and 53. Because these 

measures were implemented prior to the 

completion of OA2, there was much 

debate over what should be done in this 

action. Ultimately, the Council is 

recommending adding a few minor 

protections to what is required 

currently. 

Gulf of Maine 

In the Gulf of Maine, the Council 

recommends establishing two new, 

relatively small, cod spawning 

protections. They include the Winter 

Massachusetts Bay Spawning Closure, 

which would be in effect from 

November 1–January 31 of each year. 

The area would be closed to all fishing 

vessels, with the same exemptions as 

the existing Gulf of Maine Cod 

Spawning Protection Area (i.e., 

Whaleback), including vessels fishing in 

state waters that do not have a Federal 

Northeast multispecies permit; vessels 

fishing with exempted gears; charter/ 

party and private recreational vessels, 

provided they are fishing with pelagic 

hook and line gear and there is no 

retention of regulated groundfish or 

ocean pout; and vessels that are 

transiting. In addition, the Council is 

recommending a 2-week closure (April 

15–April 30) within statistical area 125, 

referred to as the Spring Massachusetts 

Bay Spawning Protection Area in the 

draft regulations below. This area would 

be closed to all vessels, except: Vessels 

fishing in state waters that do not have 

a Federal Northeast multispecies permit; 


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1The North American Industry Classification 

System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal 

statistical agencies in classifying business 

establishments for the purpose of collecting, 

analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to 

the U.S. business economy. 

vessels fishing with exempted gears; 

vessels in the mid-water trawl and purse 

seine exempted fisheries; scallop vessels 

fishing with dredges on a scallop dayat-sea; vessels fishing in the scallop 

dredge exemption area; and charter, 

party, and recreational fishing vessels. 

Georges Bank 

On Georges Bank, the Council is 

recommending maintaining the existing 

Closed Area II Groundfish Closure Area 

and the Closed Area I North Habitat 

Closed Area as seasonal closures from 

February 1–April 15. The areas would 

be closed to all commercial and 

recreational vessels, except those that 

are transiting, fishing with exempted 

gears, participating in the mid-water 

trawl exempted fishery, and fishing 

with scallop dredges. 

The Council is also recommending 

the removal of the May Georges Bank 

Spawning Closure. Sector vessels are 

exempted from this seasonal closure, 

rendering it virtually non-existent. 

Removing the closure would minimally 

reduce the administrative burden for 

sectors, as they would no longer have to 

request this exemption. 

6. Dedicated Habitat Research Areas 

In order to highlight research needs, 

particularly relating to evaluating the 

assumptions of the SASI model that the 

Council used as the basis for HMA 

development, the Council is proposing 

to establish two Dedicated Habitat 

Research Areas (DHRA). The Council is 

also recommending that the DHRAs 

would be in effect for 3 years, at which 

time the Regional Administrator would 

confer with the Council as to whether 

the designation should be retained. The 

Council developed a series of questions 

to assist in this future discussion that 

include consideration of where in the 

research development process an 

activity is, how well it aligns with the 

Council’s stated habitat research 

priorities, and what role the DHRA 

designation plays in the research. 

The Council recommends establishing 

the Georges Bank DHRA (footprint is the 

same as the existing Closed Area I South 

Habitat Closure) and the Stellwagen 

DHRA (footprint within the existing 

Western Gulf of Maine Habitat Closure). 

The Georges Bank DHRA would be 

closed to all mobile bottom-tending 

gear. The Stellwagen DHRA would be 

closed to all commercial mobile bottomtending gear, commercial sink gillnet 

gear, and commercial demersal longline 

gear. 

7. Framework Adjustments and 

Monitoring 

The Council is recommending that the 

designation or removal of HMAs and 

changes to fishing restrictions within 

HMAs be considered frameworkable. In 

addition, the Council is proposing a 

review process to evaluate the 

performance of habitat and spawning 

protection measures. Finally, the 

Council is proposing to identify and 

periodically revise research priorities to 

improve habitat and spawning area 

monitoring. 

8. Regulatory Changes 

This rule proposes implementing 

measures for all of the Council’s 

recommendations, as required. In order 

to improve clarity of the habitat-related 

management measures, we have 

reorganized § 648.81 to refer solely to 

year-round and seasonal closures 

designed for purposes of groundfish 

protection. All habitat-related measures, 

including the proposed HMAs and their 

accompanying regulatory text, the 

DHRAs and their accompanying text, 

and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council’s Deep-Sea Coral 

Protection area can be found in a new 

subpart (Subpart Q). In addition, the 

Council stated that all areas currently 

closed to scallop dredging should 

remain closed upon the implementation 

of OA2 so that the Scallop Committee 

can better incorporate newly opened 

areas in the rotational management 

program. The existing EFH closures 

currently reside in both the groundfish 

(§ 648.81) and scallop (§ 648.61) 

regulations. We propose adding the 

groundfish closed areas that would 

otherwise be removed by this action to 

the scallop closure section (§ 648.61) to 

ensure that the restrictions on scallop 

fishing remain in place until a 

subsequent scallop action can modify 

them. The proposed regulations also 

update cross-references and definitions 

as needed. The Council deemed the 

regulations as necessary and 

appropriate, as required in the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, on March 28, 

2017. 

Classification 

Pursuant to section 304(a)(1)(A) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, the NMFS 

Assistant Administrator has made a 

preliminary determination that this 

proposed rule may be consistent with 

OA2, other provisions of the MagnusonStevens Act, and other applicable law. 

In making the final determination, we 

will consider the data, views, and 

comments received during the public 

comment period. 

This proposed rule has been 

preliminarily determined to be not 

significant for purposes of Executive 

Orders (E.O.) 12866. For the reasons 

stated earlier and in the accompanying 

EIS/RIR/IRFA, we anticipate this rule 

will result in an annualized cost savings 

of approximately $60 million–$62 

million, using a 3- and 7-percent 

discount rate, respectively. 

This proposed rule does not contain 

policies with Federalism or ‘‘takings’’ 

implications as those terms are defined 

in E.O. 13132 and E.O. 12630, 

respectively. 

An Initial Regulatory Flexibility 

Analysis (IRFA) was prepared for this 

proposed rule, as required by section 

603 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act 

(RFA), 5 U.S.C. 603. The IRFA describes 

the economic impact that this proposed 

rule would have on small entities, 

including small businesses, and also 

determines ways to minimize these 

impacts. The IRFA includes this section 

of the preamble to this rule and analyses 

contained in OA2 and its accompanying 

EIS/RIR/IRFA. A copy of the full 

analysis is available from the Council 

(see ADDRESSES). A summary of the 

IRFA follows. 

Description of the Reason Why Action 

by the Agency Is Being Considered and 

Statement of the Objective of, and Legal 

Basis for, This Proposed Rule 

This action proposes management 

measures to comply with requirements 

of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to 

minimize to the extent practicable the 

adverse effects of fishing on EFH. A 

complete description of the action, why 

it is being considered, and the legal 

basis for this action are contained in 

OA2, and elsewhere in the preamble to 

this proposed rule, and are not repeated 

here. 

Description and Estimate of the Number 

of Small Entities to Which the Proposed 

Rule Would Apply 

The Small Business Administration 

(SBA) defines a small business as one 

that is: 

• Independently owned and operated; 

• Not dominant in its field of 

operation; 

• Has annual receipts that do not 

exceed— 

Æ $20.5 million in the case of 

commercial finfish harvesting entities 

(NAIC1 114111) 


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Æ $5.5 million in the case of 

commercial shellfish harvesting entities 

(NAIC 114112) 

Æ $7.5 million in the case of for-hire 

fishing entities (NAIC 114119); or 

• Has fewer than— 

Æ 750 employees in the case of fish 

processors 

Æ 100 employees in the case of fish 

dealers. 

This proposed rule affects commercial 

and recreational fish harvesting entities 

engaged in fisheries throughout New 

England that utilize bottom-trawls (large 

and small mesh), longlines, rod and 

reel, gillnets, pots and traps, scallop 

dredges, and hydraulic clam dredges. 

The gears primarily affected by this 

action are two non-mutually exclusive 

fishing operations: Fishermen using 

gears capable of catching groundfish 

and fishermen using mobile bottomtending gears. Individually permitted 

vessels may hold permits for several 

fisheries, harvesting species of fish that 

are regulated by several different FMPs. 

Furthermore, multiple-permitted vessels 

and/or permits may be owned by 

entities affiliated by stock ownership, 

common management, identity of 

interest, contractual relationships, or 

economic dependency. For the purposes 

of the Regulatory Flexibility Act 

analysis, the ownership entities, not the 

individual vessels, are considered the 

regulated entities. 

Ownership entities are defined as 

those entities with common ownership 

personnel as listed on the permit 

application. Only permits with identical 

ownership personnel are categorized as 

an ownership entity. For example, if 

five permits have the same seven 

persons listed as co-owners on their 

permit application, those seven persons 

would form one ownership entity that 

holds those five permits. If two of those 

seven owners also co-own additional 

vessels, these two persons would be 

considered a separate ownership entity. 

On June 1 of each year, NMFS 

identifies ownership entities based on a 

list of all permits for the most recent 

complete calendar year. The current 

ownership dataset used for this analysis 

was created based on calendar year 2014 

and contains average gross sales 

associated with those permits for 

calendar years 2012 through 2014. 

In addition to classifying a business 

(ownership entity) as small or large, a 

business can also be classified by its 

primary source of revenue. A business 

is defined as being primarily engaged in 

fishing for finfish if it obtains greater 

than 50 percent of its gross sales from 

sales of finfish. Similarly, a business is 

defined as being primarily engaged in 

fishing for shellfish if it obtains greater 

than 50 percent of its gross sales from 

sales of shellfish. 

A description of the specific permits 

that are likely to be affected by this 

action is provided below, along with a 

discussion of the impacted businesses, 

which can include multiple vessels and/ 

or permit types. 

On December 29, 2015, NMFS issued 

a final rule establishing a small business 

size standard of $11 million in annual 

gross receipts for all businesses 

primarily engaged in the commercial 

fishing industry (NAICS 11411) for RFA 

compliance purposes only (80 FR 

81194; December 29, 2015). The $11 

million standard became effective on 

July 1, 2016, and is intended to be used 

in place of the SBA’s current standards 

of $20.5 million, $5.5 million, and $7.5 

million for the finfish (NAICS 114111), 

shellfish (NAICS 114112), and other 

marine fishing (NAICS 114119) sectors, 

respectively, of the U.S. commercial 

fishing industry in all NMFS rules 

subject to the RFA after July 1, 2016. 

The Council took final action on OA2 

in June 2015, and the analyses in 

support of this action were developed 

throughout the decision process and 

following the Council’s action, but prior 

to July 1, 2016. This analysis was not 

updated to reflect a small business reclassification for all of the vessels 

affected by this amendment using our 

new size-standards because we have 

determined that this analysis provides a 

sufficient estimate of the number of 

small entities to which the proposed 

rule applies for purposes of determining 

this action’s impacts on small entities 

and the considerations required under 

the RFA. 

For most of the fisheries directly 

affected by this rule, RFA analyses have 

been completed on other actions since 

the implementation of the revised size 

standard. Table 2, below, shows the 

total number of entities from the last 

fishery management action analyzed 

under the SBA size standards and the 

first fishery management action 

analyzed under the revised NMFS 

policy standard. While the economic 

analyses in the Council’s EIS included 

every federally permitted entity, 

examining the changes to just the key 

fisheries, including limited access 

scallop, groundfish, and the clam 

fisheries, is informative regarding the 

potential impact of the change in size. 

Changes in the total number of 

entities year-to-year are generally a 

result of the timing of the data pull 

relative to permit renewals, regulatory 

changes, or inter-annual variation in 

ownership combinations. In terms of 

percentage of each of the major affected 

fisheries, the size standard change 

results in minimal changes in 

categories. For the limited access 

scallop, limited access general category 

scallop, and large-mesh groundfish 

fisheries, the size standard change 

results in less than a 1-percent change 

in category between large and small 

entities. For both the monkfish and 

surfclam/ocean quahog fisheries, the 

revised size standard shifts 

approximately 2 percent of entities from 

the large category to small. Note, the 

size standard for for-hire businesses did 

not change under the revision. The EIS 

analysis states that, in 2014, there were 

4,071 small businesses (925 finfish, 

2,713 shellfish, 433 for-hire), and 18 

large businesses (all shellfish). 

The revised size standard does not 

change the conclusions of the analysis 

or notably change the estimation of the 

impact on small entities from this 

action. As such, it is reasonable to rely 

upon the Council’s economic analyses. 

Regulated Commercial Fish Harvesting 

Entities 

Table 3 describes revenue by business 

type (large or small) and Table 4 

describes the total number of 

commercial business entities potentially 

regulated by the proposed action. As of 

the time of the Council’s decisionmaking (2015), there were 4,071 small 

businesses (925 finfish, 2,713 shellfish, 

433 for-hire) and 18 large businesses (all 

shellfish) potentially affected by this 

action. For fisheries utilizing mobile 

bottom-tending gear, the proposed 

action directly regulates potentially 

affected entities through restrictions on 

when and where vessels may fish to 

comply with the Magnuson-Stevens Act 

requirement to minimize to the extent 

practicable the adverse effects of fishing 

on essential fish habitat. For fisheries 

that use gears capable of catching 

groundfish, the proposed action 

additionally restricts location and 

timing of fishing to minimize impacts 

on spawning groundfish. According to 

the EIS, individuals fishing with mobile 

bottom-tending gear and midwater 

trawls tend to generate a substantial 

portion of their revenue from other gear 

types. The vast majority of individuals 

either fishing with mobile bottomtending gear capable of catching 

groundfish or for-hire do not deviate 

from that mode, which could relate to 

the specialized nature of either the 

vessels or the captains’ skills needed for 

these types of fishing. 

In general, the overall changes the 

Council is proposing are relatively 

modest, particularly when compared to 

other alternatives considered. The 

majority of areas recommended in the 

Council’s proposals are already closed 


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to fishing. The current open areas that 

would close include the Eastern Maine 

HMA, the Georges Shoal HMA, and the 

Great South Channel HMA. As 

described above, there is currently very 

little mobile bottom-tending gear fishing 

in the Eastern Maine HMA because 

groundfish stocks have decreased 

locally in that region. The Great South 

Channel HMA was designed to 

minimize impact to the scallop fishery, 

particularly the design of the eastern 

boundary. Scallops occur primarily at 

depths beyond the closure boundary. 

There is not a significant amount of 

trawl fishing in that area because of the 

high level of natural disturbance. The 

Great South Channel HMA would 

primarily affect hydraulic clam dredges, 

after the 1-year delay expires. As noted 

above, the Georges Shoal HMA has very 

little trawl or scallop dredge fishing in 

it now, despite the fact that nearby areas 

have been closed since 1995. Again, 

only clam dredge fishing would be 

expected to experience a notable 

displacement of fishing and only after 

the 1-year delay expires. 

The Council’s proposed measures that 

would increase fishing opportunities 

include: (1) Modifying the Western Gulf 

of Maine Groundfish Closure Area by 

aligning the eastern boundary with the 

Habitat Closure Area; (2) modifying the 

Jeffreys Bank Habitat Closure Area and 

exposing the deeper, northern portion to 

potential fishing; (3) opening the 

northern edge of Georges Bank to 

rotational scallop fishing; (4) 

eliminating the Nantucket Lightship 

Groundfish and Habitat Closure Areas; 

and (5) implementing Closed Area I 

North and Closed Area II as seasonal, 

versus year-round, closure areas. The 

partial opening of the areas in the Gulf 

of Maine are expected to result in 

modest increases in groundfish revenue. 

The opening of the Nantucket Lightship 

closure areas could result in increases in 

scallop fishing. The northern edge of 

Georges Bank, within the Reduced 

Impact HMA and the Juvenile Cod 

HAPC, contains a substantial amount of 

scallops, with biomass estimates of over 

10,000 mt and long-term yield estimates 

ranging from 419 to 1,079 mt. Because 

the value of scallops is so high 

(averaging over $10 per pound since 

2010), there is potential for large 

increases in scallop revenue if the area 

is opened as proposed and prices 

remain at or around this value. As 

described above, there are concerns that 

the proposed fishing impacts may not be 

consistent with requirements of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act to minimize to 

the extent practicable the adverse effects 

from fishing or with the Council’s 

designation of the area as an HAPC. 

Should the Council’s proposal in this 

sub-region not be approved, there would 

be no direct revenue lost to the scallop 

fishery, as the regulations would remain 

status quo, and the Scallop FMP would 

continue to offset the scallop biomass in 

the closed areas with increased fishing 

in the open areas, including any newly 

opened areas. 

TABLE 2—COMPARISON OF LARGE AND SMALL ENTITIES UNDER THE SBA AND NMFS SIZE STANDARDS

Fishery 

SBA standard NMFS standard 

Total Large Small Proposed rule with 

IRFA summary Total Large Small Proposed rule with IRFA summary 

Scallop (LA) ....... 166 152 (91.6%) ....... 14 (8.4%) ........... Framework Adjustment 27 (81 FR 

9151; 2/24/2016).

154 141 (91.6%) ....... 13 (8.4%) ........... Framework Adjustment 28 (82 FR 

6472; 1/19/2017). 

Scallop (LAGC) 106 102 (96.2%) ....... 4 (3.8%) ............. Framework Adjustment 27 (81 FR 

9151; 2/24/2016).

87 84 (96.6%) ......... 3 (3.4%) ............. Framework Adjustment 28 (82 FR 

6472; 1/19/2017). 

Monkfish ............ 397 16 (4.0%) ........... 381 (96.0%) ....... Framework Adjustment 9 (81 FR 

6472; 6/23/2016).

390 8 (2.1%) ............. 382 (97.9%) ....... Framework Adjustment 10 (82 FR 

21498; 5/9/2017). 

Groundfish ......... 1,359 18 (1.3%) ........... 1,341 (98.7%) .... Framework Adjustment 55 (81 FR 

15003; 3/21/2016).

1,505 10 (0.7%) ........... 1,495 (99.3%) .... Framework Adjustment 56 (82 FR 

28447; 6/22/2017). 

Groundfish C/P .. 425 0 (0.0%) ............. 425 (100.0%) ..... Framework Adjustment 55 (81 FR 

15003; 3/21/2016).

191 0 (0.0%) ............. 191 (100.0%) ..... 2017 Recreational 

Management Measures (82 FR 24086; 

5/25/2017). 

SC/OQ ............... 406 20 (4.9%) ........... 386 (95.1%) ....... Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Amendment 17 

(81 FR 14072; 3/16/ 

2016).

358 10 (2.8%) ........... 348 (97.2%) ....... 2017–2018 Surfclam/ 

Ocean Quahog 

Specifications (82 

FR 24086; 11/23/ 

2016). 

TABLE 3—BUSINESS REVENUE BY TYPE

Year NAICS classification Business 

type 

Business 

revenue 

Shellfish 

revenue 

Finfish 

revenue 

For-hire 

revenue 

2012 .............................. Finfish .......................... Small ........................... $217,560,996 $33,546,543 $183,380,312 $634,141 

2012 .............................. For-hire ........................ Small ........................... 56,153,981 331,674 611,532 55,210,775 

2012 .............................. Shellfish ....................... Large ........................... 265,665,371 242,801,113 22,860,746 3,512 

2012 .............................. Shellfish ....................... Small ........................... 710,485,816 679,195,607 30,897,738 392,471 

2013 .............................. Finfish .......................... Small ........................... 191,870,635 25,008,297 166,326,851 535,487 

2013 .............................. For-hire ........................ Small ........................... 55,556,751 125,755 588,984 54,842,012 

2013 .............................. Shellfish ....................... Large ........................... 228,892,465 208,244,173 20,642,659 5,633 

2013 .............................. Shellfish ....................... Small ........................... 690,608,565 663,848,959 26,381,386 378,220 

2014 .............................. Finfish .......................... Small ........................... 209,370,022 23,888,931 185,335,274 145,817 

2014 .............................. For-hire ........................ Small ........................... 57,843,562 15,735 412,061 57,415,766 

2014 .............................. Shellfish ....................... Large ........................... 223,065,022 202,580,548 20,484,474 ........................

2014 .............................. Shellfish ....................... Small ........................... 741,518,137 717,031,087 24,316,466 170,584 


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TABLE 4—NUMBER OF BUSINESSES AND REVENUE GENERATED BY SMALL AND LARGE BUSINESSES, BY COMMERCIAL

GEAR CLASSIFICATION

[MBTG=Mobile bottom-tending gear, Groundfish=gear capable of catching groundfish, Both=Both MBTG and Groundfish designation, Midwater = 

Midwater trawls, Clam = clam dredge. Note some data not presented for Privacy Concerns] 

Year Gear type Business type Number of 

businesses VTR revenue 

2012 ................................................ Both ................................................ Large .............................................. 17 $231,658,238 

2012 ................................................ Both ................................................ Small .............................................. 574 580,827,338 

2013 ................................................ Both ................................................ Large .............................................. 17 185,435,086 

2013 ................................................ Both ................................................ Small .............................................. 539 445,971,382 

2014 ................................................ Both ................................................ Large .............................................. 17 173,348,111 

2014 ................................................ Both ................................................ Small .............................................. 528 396,470,511 

2012 ................................................ Clam ............................................... Large .............................................. 5 31,160,893 

2012 ................................................ Clam ............................................... Small .............................................. 42 27,738,596 

2013 ................................................ Clam ............................................... Large .............................................. 4 30,008,134 

2013 ................................................ Clam ............................................... Small .............................................. 47 27,874,110 

2014 ................................................ Clam ............................................... Large .............................................. 2 ........................

2014 ................................................ Clam ............................................... Small .............................................. 41 26,867,813 

2012 ................................................ Groundfish ...................................... Large .............................................. 2 ........................

2012 ................................................ Groundfish ...................................... Small .............................................. 668 74,103,358 

2013 ................................................ Groundfish ...................................... Large .............................................. 2 ........................

2013 ................................................ Groundfish ...................................... Small .............................................. 605 47,920,414 

2014 ................................................ Groundfish ...................................... Large .............................................. 1 ........................

2014 ................................................ Groundfish ...................................... Small .............................................. 592 48,959,328 

2012 ................................................ MBTG ............................................. Large .............................................. 3 1,072,716 

2012 ................................................ MBTG ............................................. Small .............................................. 125 6,120,800 

2013 ................................................ MBTG ............................................. Large .............................................. 3 1,375,902 

2013 ................................................ MBTG ............................................. Small .............................................. 87 2,940,183 

2014 ................................................ MBTG ............................................. Large .............................................. 3 1,216,387 

2014 ................................................ MBTG ............................................. Small .............................................. 26 2,857,405 

2012 ................................................ Midwater ......................................... Large .............................................. 3 9,289,884 

2012 ................................................ Midwater ......................................... Small .............................................. 14 22,865,976 

2013 ................................................ Midwater ......................................... Large .............................................. 3 5,535,922 

2013 ................................................ Midwater ......................................... Small .............................................. 13 26,214,983 

2014 ................................................ Midwater ......................................... Large .............................................. 3 4,909,077 

2014 ................................................ Midwater ......................................... Small .............................................. 14 25,058,119 

2012 ................................................ Other .............................................. Large .............................................. 2 ........................

2012 ................................................ Other .............................................. Small .............................................. 566 79,087,347 

2013 ................................................ Other .............................................. Large .............................................. 4 ........................

2013 ................................................ Other .............................................. Small .............................................. 539 80,355,177 

2014 ................................................ Other .............................................. Large .............................................. 3 ........................

2014 ................................................ Other .............................................. Small .............................................. 514 84,446,720 

Description of the Projected Reporting, 

Record-Keeping, and Other Compliance 

Requirements of This Proposed Rule 

The proposed action does not contain 

a collection-of-information requirement 

subject to review and approval by the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction 

Act (PRA). 

Federal Rules Which May Duplication, 

Overlap, or Conflict With This Proposed 

Rule 

The proposed action does not 

duplicate, overlap, or conflict with any 

other Federal laws. 

Description of Significant Alternatives 

to the Proposed Action Which 

Accomplish the Stated Objectives of 

Applicable Statutes and Which 

Minimize Any Significant Economic 

Impact on Small Entities 

The economic impacts of each 

proposed measure is discussed in more 

detail in Volumes 3, 4, and 5 of the EIS. 

Because the primary objective of the 

Amendment is to comply with the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act requirement to 

minimize to the extent practicable the 

adverse effects of fishing on EFH, a 

variety of combinations of areas could 

have achieved those goals. The EFH and 

HAPC designations are primarily 

administrative in nature and are not 

expected to result in any direct 

economic impacts to the fisheries; 

although, indirect positive affects stocks 

are expected. 

Habitat Management Measure 

Alternatives 

In the Eastern Gulf of Maine, the 

Council recommends establishing the 

Small Eastern Maine Habitat 

Management Area (HMA), closed to all 

mobile bottom-tending gears. (Note, the 

proposed regulations refer to this area as 

simply the ‘‘Eastern Maine HMA.’’) 

Other alternatives considered would 

have continued with no habitat 

management in this sub-region or 

implemented one or more additional 

area. The Toothaker Ridge HMA, the 

Large Eastern Maine HMA, the Machias 

HMA, and the Small Eastern Maine 

were assembled into two alternatives. 

In the Central Gulf of Maine, the 

Council recommends maintaining the 

existing Cashes Ledge Groundfish 

Closure Area, modifying the existing 

Jeffreys Bank and Cashes Ledge Habitat 

Closure Areas, with their current fishing 

restrictions and exemptions, and 

establishing the Fippennies Ledge 

HMA, closed to mobile bottom-tending 

gears, and the Ammen Rock HMA, 

closed to all fishing except lobster traps. 

Other alternatives considered would 

have various combinations of eight total 

areas. In addition to the areas 

recommended as preferred, the Council 

considered habitat management in the 

existing Jeffreys Bank and Cashes Ledge 

habitat closure areas, two areas on Platts 

Bank and a small area on the top of 

Fippennies Ledge. The Council did not 

recommend the areas on Platts Bank 


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because of the concern regarding the 

displacement of current fishing and the 

economic impact to a sub-set of the 

fleet. 

In the Western Gulf of Maine, the 

Council recommends maintaining the 

existing Western Gulf of Maine Habitat 

Closure Area, closed to mobile bottomtending gears, and modifying the eastern 

boundary of the Western Gulf of Maine 

[Groundfish] Closure Area to align with 

the Habitat Closure Area, while 

maintaining the current fishing 

restrictions and requirements. The 

Council also recommends creating an 

exemption area within the northwest 

corner of those closures for shrimp 

trawls and designating the existing 

Roller Gear Restricted Area 

requirements as a habitat protection 

measure. Other alternatives would have 

established a large (Alternatives 3 and 4) 

or small (Alternative 5) version of a 

closure area along the state waters 

boundaries of New Hampshire and 

Maine covering Bigelow Bight, which 

was deemed by the Council to have 

overly severe economic impacts. Still 

other options included consideration of 

breaking up the existing Western Gulf of 

Maine Habitat Closure Area to focus on 

the most vulnerable sections of Jeffreys 

Ledge and Stellwagen Bank, either in 

two smaller combinations (Alternatives 

4 and 5) or only a larger section of the 

Stellwagen Bank area (Alternatives 3 

and 6). Finally, one option would have 

implemented the roller gear restriction 

over only the footprint of the other 

proposed habitat management areas 

(Alternative 7b). 

On Georges Bank, the Council 

recommends removing the year-round 

and habitat closures of Closed Areas I 

and II and replacing them with three 

new areas: (1) The Georges Shoal 2 

HMA, closed to mobile bottom-tending 

gear, with a 1-year delay in closure to 

hydraulic clam dredges; (2) the 

Northern Edge Reduced Impact HMA, 

closed to mobile bottom-tending gear, 

with two exceptions described below; 

and (3) the Northern Edge Mobile 

Bottom-Tending Gear HMA, closed to 

mobile bottom-tending gear without any 

exceptions. Exemptions to the Reduced 

Impact HMA are scallop dredge fishing 

in accordance with the scallop 

rotational area program, and trawl 

fishing to the west of the existing 

western boundary of Closed Area II 

(67°20′W long.), in what is now the 

Eastern Georges Bank Special Access 

Program. In addition, any portions of 

the Closed Area II groundfish closed 

area north of 41°30′N lat. would be 

closed to scallop fishing between June 

15 and October 31 of each year. The 

remainder of the existing Closed Area I 

Habitat and Groundfish Closure Areas 

and Closed Area II Groundfish Closure 

Area would be opened, expect for 

seasonal spawning protection. 

Various combinations of 19 areas, 

including the 5 existing habitat and 

groundfish closed areas, were 

considered for this sub-region. When 

combined, these areas covered nearly 

the entire Bank area from the Hague 

Line up to the Great South Channel. 

Some areas were deemed too costly 

from an economic standpoint because of 

their size or specific location. These 

areas included the two alternatives 

across the majority of the bank: The 

Northern Georges mobile bottomtending gear closure (Alternative 8) and 

the Northern Georges gear modification 

area (Alternatives 5). Various options of 

smaller areas on Georges Shoal, namely 

the Georges Shoal 1 (Alternative 5), 

Georges Shoal Gear Modification Area 

(Alternative 4), Georges Shoal 2 

(Alternative 7), and Western HMA 

(Alternative 9), were also considered. 

Further variations focused more on the 

northern edge, included the Northern 

Edge HMA in Alternatives 3 and 4; two 

variations of expanding the existing 

Closed Area II habitat closure 

(Alternatives 6A and 6B); the EFH South 

HMA as part of Alternative 7; the 

Eastern HMA and a Mortality Closure in 

Alternative 9. 

In the Great South Channel, the 

Council recommends establishing the 

Great South Channel HMA, closed to 

mobile bottom-tending gear, except 

hydraulic clam dredges for one year, 

outside of the northeast corner of the 

area. The Council is also recommending 

establishing two HMAs on Cox Ledge, 

closed to hydraulic clam dredges, and 

requiring no ground cables on trawls 

fishing in the areas. The Nantucket 

Lightship Habitat Closure Area and the 

Nantucket Lightship Closed Area would 

be removed. Other alternatives were 

variations around the proposed 

alternative, some extending farther to 

the east, and some extending farther to 

the west. The Council also considered a 

single box to cover both Cox Ledge 

areas. 

Groundfish Spawning Measure 

Alternatives 

In the Gulf of Maine, the Council is 

recommending establishing two new, 

relatively small cod spawning 

protections. They include the Winter 

Massachusetts Bay Spawning Closure, 

which would be in effect from 

November 1–January 31 of each year. 

The Council also recommends a 2-week 

closure (April 15–April 30) within 

statistical area 125. Other alternatives 

considered would have reinstated or 

added to existing rolling closures in the 

Western Gulf of Maine. 

On Georges Bank, the Council is 

recommending maintaining the existing 

Closed Area II Groundfish Closure Area 

and the Closed Area I North Habitat 

Closed Area as seasonal closures from 

February 1–April 15. The Council is 

also recommending the removal of the 

May Georges Bank Spawning Closure. 

The Council considered making all of 

the existing Closed Area I groundfish 

closure area a seasonal spawning 

closure, but instead chose just the 

subset of that area in the northern 

portion. 

Management alternatives in both 

regions included all commercial gears 

capable of catching groundfish 

(recreational fishing exempted), all 

commercial and recreational gears 

capable of catching groundfish, and an 

exemption for scallop dredges. 

Dedicated Habitat Research Area 

Alternatives 

The Council is proposing to establish 

two DHRAs. The DHRAs would be 

effective for 3 years, at which time the 

Regional Administrator would confer 

with the Council as to whether the 

designation should be retained. The 

Council considered three potential 

DHRAs, with varying management 

restrictions within them. The Council is 

recommending establishing the Georges 

Bank DHRA (footprint is the same as the 

existing Closed Area I South Habitat 

Closure) and the Stellwagen DHRA 

(footprint within the existing Western 

Gulf of Maine Habitat Closure). The 

Council considered two ‘‘reference 

areas’’ within the Stellwagen DHRA that 

would have prohibited all fishing, 

including recreational groundfish 

fishing. The Council is proposing the 

Stellwagen DHRA with no reference 

area. The Georges Bank DHRA would be 

closed to all mobile bottom-tending 

gear. The Stellwagen DHRA would be 

closed to all mobile bottom-tending 

gear, sink gillnet gear, and demersal 

longline gear. 

Framework Adjustments and 

Monitoring 

The Council is recommending that the 

designation or removal of HMAs and 

changes to fishing restrictions within 

HMAs be considered in a framework 

adjustment. In addition, the Council is 

proposing a review process to evaluate 

the performance of habitat and 

spawning protection measures. Finally, 

the Council is proposing to identify and 

periodically revise research priorities to 

improve habitat and spawning area 

monitoring. Alternatively, the Council 

considered not implementing a new 


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process for habitat and spawning 

protection measures review and 

modification and using the existing adhoc process under its authority 

currently. 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 648 

Fisheries, Fishing, Recordkeeping and 

reporting requirements. 

Dated: October 27, 2017. 

Samuel D. Rauch III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

For the reasons stated 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. 

§ 648.2 [Amended] 

■ 2. Amend § 648.2 follows: 

■ a. Revise the definition of ‘‘bottomtending mobile gear,’’ 

■ b. Add a definition for ‘‘bridles,’’ in 

alphabetical order, 

■ c. Revise the definition of ‘‘gillnet gear 

capable of catching multispecies,’’ 

■ d. Add a definition for ‘‘ground 

cables,’’ in alphabetical order, and 

■ e. Revise the definition of ‘‘Open 

areas.’’ 

* * * * * 

Bottom-tending mobile gear, means 

gear in contact with the ocean bottom, 

and towed from a vessel, which is 

moved through the water during fishing 

in order to capture fish, and includes 

otter trawls, beam trawls, hydraulic 

dredges, non-hydraulic dredges, and 

seines (with the exception of a purse 

seine). 

* * * * * 

Bridles connect the wings of a bottom 

trawl to the ground cables. The ground 

cables lead to the doors or otter boards. 

The doors are attached to the towing 

vessel via steel cables, referred to as 

wires or warps. Each net has two sets of 

bridles, one on each side. 

* * * * * 

Gillnet gear capable of catching 

multispecies means all gillnet gear 

except pelagic gillnet gear specified at 

§ 648.81(b)(2)(ii) and (d)(5)(ii) and 

pelagic gillnet gear that is designed to 

fish for and is used to fish for or catch 

tunas, swordfish, and sharks. 

* * * * * 

Ground cables on a bottom trawl run 

between the bridles, which attach 

directly to the wings of the net, and the 

doors, or otter boards. The doors are 

attached to the towing vessel via steel 

cables, referred to as wires or warps. 

* * * * * 

Open areas, with respect to the 

Atlantic sea scallop fishery, means any 

area that is not subject to restrictions of 

the Sea Scallop Rotational Areas 

specified in §§ 648.59 and 648.60, the 

Northern Gulf of Maine Management 

Area specified in § 648.62, EFH Closed 

Areas specified in §§ 648.61 and 

648.370, Dedicated Habitat Research 

areas specified in § 648.371, or the 

Frank R. Lautenberg Deep-Sea Coral 

Protection Area described in § 648.372. 

* * * * * 

■ 3. Amend § 648.11 by revising 

paragraph (m)(1) to read as follows: 

* * * * * 

(m) Atlantic herring observer 

coverage—(1) Pre-trip notification. At 

least 48 hr prior to the beginning of any 

trip on which a vessel may harvest, 

possess, or land Atlantic herring, a 

vessel issued a Limited Access Herring 

Permit or a vessel issued an Areas 2⁄3

Open Access Herring Permit on a 

declared herring trip or a vessel issued 

an All Areas Open Access Herring 

Permit fishing with midwater trawl gear 

in Management Areas 1A, 1B, and/or 3, 

as defined in § 648.200(f)(1) and (3), and 

herring carriers must provide notice of 

the following information to NMFS: 

Vessel name, permit category, and 

permit number; contact name for 

coordination of observer deployment; 

telephone number for contact; the date, 

time, and port of departure; gear type; 

target species; and intended area of 

fishing, including whether the vessel 

intends to engage in fishing in the 

Northeast Multispecies Closed Areas 

(Closed Area I North (648.81(c)(3)), 

Closed Area II (648.81(c)(4)), Cashes 

Ledge Closure Area (648.81(a)(3)), and 

Western GOM Closure Area 

(648.81(a)(4))) at any point in the trip. 

Trip notification calls must be made no 

more than 10 days in advance of each 

fishing trip. The vessel owner, operator, 

or manager must notify NMFS of any 

trip plan changes at least 12 hr prior to 

vessel departure from port. 

* * * * * 

§ 648.14 [Amended] 

■ 4. Amend § 648.14 as follows: 

■ a. Revise paragraph (b)(10), 

■ b. Add paragraphs (b)(11) and (12), 

■ c. Revise paragraphs (i)(1)(vi)(A)(1) 

and (2), 

■ d. Revise paragraph (k)(6)(i)(E), 

■ e. Revise paragraph (k)(6)(ii)(A)(5), 

■ f. Revise paragraphs (k)(7)(i)(A) and 

(B), 

■ g. Revise paragraphs (k)(7)(i)(C)(1) 

through (3), 

■ h. Revise paragraph (k)(7)(i)(D), 

■ i. Remove and reserve paragraphs 

(k)(7)(i)(E), (F), and (G), 

■ j. Remove and reserve paragraph 

(k)(7)(ii)(A), 

■ k. Revise paragraph (k)(12)(iii)(B), 

■ l. Revise paragraph (k)(16)(iii)(B), and 

■ m. Revise paragraphs (r)(2)(v) and (vi). 

The revisions to read as follows: 

§ 648.14 Prohibitions. 

* * * * * 

(b) * * * 

(10) Fish with bottom-tending gear 

within the Frank R. Lautenberg Deepsea Coral Protection Area described at 

§ 648.372, unless transiting pursuant to 

§ 648.372(d), fishing lobster trap gear in 

accordance with § 697.21 of this 

chapter, or fishing red crab trap gear in 

accordance with § 648.264. Bottomtending gear includes but is not limited 

to bottom-tending otter trawls, bottomtending beam trawls, hydraulic dredges, 

non-hydraulic dredges, bottom-tending 

seines, bottom longlines, pots and traps, 

and sink or anchored gill nets. 

(11) Habitat Management Area 

Restrictions. If fishing with bottomtending mobile gear, fish in, enter, be on 

a fishing vessel in, the EFH closure 

areas described in § 648.371, unless 

otherwise exempted. 

(12) Unless otherwise exempted, fish 

in the Dedicated Habitat Research Areas 

defined in § 648.371. 

* * * * * 

(i) * * * 

(1) * * * 

(vi) * * * 

(A) * * * 

(1) Fish for scallops in, or possess or 

land scallops from, the EFH Closed 

Areas and Habitat Management Areas 

specified in § 648.61 and 648.370, 

respectively. 

(2) Transit or enter the EFH Closure 

Areas or Habitat Management Areas 

specified in § 648.61 and 648.370, 

respectively, except as provided by 

§ 648.61(b). 

* * * * * 

(k) * * * 

(6) * * * 

(i) * * * 

(E) Use, set, haul back, fish with, 

possess on board a vessel, unless stowed 

and not available for immediate use as 

defined in § 648.2, or fail to remove, 

sink gillnet gear and other gillnet gear 

capable of catching NE multispecies, 

with the exception of single pelagic 

gillnets (as described in 

§ 648.81(b)(2)(ii) and (d)(5)(ii)), in the 

areas and for the times specified in 

§ 648.80(g)(6)(i) and (ii), except as 

provided in § 648.80(g)(6)(i) and (ii), 

and § 648.81(b)(2)(ii) and (d)(5)(ii), or 


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unless otherwise authorized in writing 

by the Regional Administrator. 

* * * * * 

(ii) 

(A) 

(5) Enter, fail to remove sink gillnet 

gear or gillnet gear capable of catching 

NE multispecies from, or be in the areas, 

and for the times, described in 

§ 648.80(g)(6)(i) and (ii), except as 

provided in §§ 648.80(g)(6)(i) and 

648.81(i). 

* * * * * 

(7) * * * 

(i) * * * 

(A) Enter, be on a fishing vessel in, or 

fail to remove gear from the EEZ portion 

of the areas described in § 648.81(a)(3), 

(a)(4), and (d)(3), except as provided in 

§ 648.81(a)(2), (d)(2), and (i). 

(B) Fish for, harvest, possess, or land 

regulated species in or from the closed 

areas specified in § 648.81(a) through (d) 

and (n), unless otherwise specified in 

§ 648.81(c)(2)(iii), (d)(5)(i), (d)(5)(iv), 

(d)(5)(viii) and (ix), (i), (b)(2), or as 

authorized under § 648.85. 

(C) Restricted Gear Areas. (1) Fish, or 

be in the areas described in 

§ 648.81(f)(3) through (6) on a fishing 

vessel with mobile gear during the time 

periods specified in § 648.81(f)(1), 

except as provided in § 648.81(f)(2). 

(2) Fish, or be in the areas described 

in § 648.81(f)(3) through (5) on a fishing 

vessel with lobster pot gear during the 

time periods specified in § 648.81(f)(1). 

(3) Deploy in or fail to remove lobster 

pot gear from the areas described in 

§ 648.81(f)(3) through (5), during the 

time periods specified in § 648.81(f)(1). 

(D) Georges Bank Seasonal Closure 

Areas. Enter, fail to remove gear from, 

or be in the areas described in 

§ 648.81(c) during the time periods 

specified, except as provided in 

§ 648.81(c)(2). 

* * * * * 

(12) * * * 

(iii) * * * 

(B) Enter or fish in Closed Area II as 

specified in § 648.81(c)(4), unless 

declared into the area in accordance 

with § 648.85(b)(3)(v) or 

§ 648.85(b)(8)(v)(D). 

* * * * * 

(16) * * * 

(iii) * * * 

(B) Fail to comply with the 

requirements specified in 

§ 648.81(d)(5)(v) when fishing in the 

areas described in § 648.81(b)(3), (b)(4), 

and (d) during the time periods 

specified. 

* * * * * 

(r) * * * 

(2) * * * 

(v) Fish with midwater trawl gear in 

any Northeast Multispecies Closed Area, 

as defined in § 648.81(a), without a 

NMFS-approved observer on board, if 

the vessel has been issued an Atlantic 

herring permit. 

(vi) Slip or operationally discard 

catch, as defined at § 648.2, unless for 

one of the reasons specified at 

§ 648.202(b)(2), if fishing any part of a 

tow inside the Northeast Multispecies 

Closed Areas, as defined at § 648.81(a). 

* * * * * 

§ 648.27 [Removed]. 

■ 5. Remove § 648.27 

■ 6. Add § 648.58 to read as follows: 

§ 648.58 Closed Area II Seasonal Scallop 

Closure. 

Closed Area II Seasonal Scallop 

Closure. From June 15 through October 

31 of each year, no fishing vessel may 

fish with scallop dredge gear in the 

portion of Closed Area II, as specified in 

section 648.61(c)(4) and section 

648.81(c)(4), north of 41°30′ N. lat. 

■ 7. In § 648.59, revise paragraph (a) to 

read as follows: 

§ 648.59 Sea Scallop Rotational Area 

Management Program and Access Program 

requirements. 

(a) The Sea Scallop Rotational Area 

Management Program consists of 

Scallop Rotational Areas, as defined in 

§ 648.2. Guidelines for this area rotation 

program (i.e., when to close an area and 

reopen it to scallop fishing) are 

provided in § 648.55(a)(6). Whether a 

rotational area is open or closed to 

scallop fishing in a given year, and the 

appropriate level of access by limited 

access and LAGC IFQ vessels, are 

specified through the specifications or 

framework adjustment processes 

defined in § 648.55. When a rotational 

area is open to the scallop fishery, it is 

called an Access Area and scallop 

vessels fishing in the area are subject to 

the Access Area Program Requirements 

specified in this section. Areas not 

defined as Scallop Rotational Areas 

specified in § 648.60, EFH Closed Areas 

specified in § 648.61 and 648.370, 

Dedicated Habitat Research Areas 

specified in 648.371, or areas closed to 

scallop fishing under other FMPs, are 

governed by other management 

measures and restrictions in this part 

and are referred to as Open Areas. 

■ 8. In § 648.60, revise paragraph (c)(1) 

and footnote 1 to read as follows: 

§ 648.60 Sea Scallop Rotational Areas. 

* * * * * 

(c) Closed Area I Scallop Rotational 

Area. (1) The Closed Area I Scallop 

Rotational Area is defined by straight 

lines connecting the following points in 

the order stated (copies of a chart 

depicting this area are available from 

the Regional Administrator upon 

request), and so that the line connecting 

points CAIA3 and CAIA4 is the same as 

the portion of the western boundary line 

of Closed Area I, defined in 

§ 648.61(c)(3), that lies between points 

CAIA3 and CAIA4: 

Point N. lat. W. long. Note 

CAIA1 .......................................................................................................................................... 41°26′ N. 68°30′ W. 

CAIA2 .......................................................................................................................................... 40°58′ N. 68°30′ W. 

CAIA3 .......................................................................................................................................... 40°54.95′ N. 68°53.37′ W. (1) 

CAIA4 .......................................................................................................................................... 41°04′ N. 69°01′ W. (1) 

CAIA1 .......................................................................................................................................... 41°26′ N. 68°30′ W. 

1From Point CAIA3 to Point CAIA4 along the western boundary of Closed Area I, defined in § 648.61(c)(3). 

■ 9. In § 648.61, revise the section 

heading and add paragraph (c) to read 

as follows: 

§ 648.61 EFH and Groundfish Closed 

Areas. 

* * * * * 

(c) Groundfish Closure Areas. No 

vessel fishing for scallops, or person on 

a vessel fishing for scallops, may enter, 

fish in, or be in the Closure Areas 

described in paragraphs (c)(1) through 

(5) of this section, unless otherwise 

exempted in the scallop access area 

program, described in § 648.59. A chart 

depicting these areas is available from 

the Regional Administrator upon 

request. 

(1) Western Gulf of Maine Closure 

Area. The Western Gulf of Maine 

Closure Area is defined by straight lines 


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connecting the following points in the 

order stated: 

WESTERN GULF OF MAINE CLOSURE

AREA

Point N. lat. W. long. 

WGM1 ...... 42°15′ 70°15′ 

WGM2 ...... 42°15′ 69°55′ 

WGM3 ...... 43°15′ 69°55′ 

WGM4 ...... 43°15′ 70°15′ 

WGM1 ...... 42°15′ 70°15′ 

(2) Cashes Ledge Closure Area. The 

Cashes Ledge Closure Area is defined by 

straight lines connecting the following 

points in the order stated: 

CASHES LEDGE CLOSURE AREA

Point N. lat. W. long. 

CL1 ........... 43°07′ 69°02′ 

CL2 ........... 42°49.5′ 68°46′ 

CL3 ........... 42°46.5′ 68°50.5′ 

CL4 ........... 42°43.5′ 68°58.5′ 

CL5 ........... 42°42.5′ 69°17.5′ 

CL6 ........... 42°49.5′ 69°26′ 

CL1 ........... 43°07′ 69°02′ 

(3) Closed Area I. Closed Area I is 

defined by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated: 

CLOSED AREA I 

Point N. lat. W. long. 

CI1 ............ 41°30′ 69°23′ 

CI2 ............ 40°45′ 68°45′ 

CI3 ............ 40°45′ 68°30′ 

CI4 ............ 41°30′ 68°30′ 

CI1 ............ 41°30′ 69°23′ 

(4) Closed Area II. Closed Area II is 

defined by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated: 

CLOSED AREA II 

Point N. lat. W. long. 

C1I1 .......... 41°00′ 67°20′ 

C1I2 .......... 41°00′ 66°35.8′ 

G5 ............ 41°18.6′ 66°24.8′ 1

C1I3 .......... 42°22′ 67°20′ 1

C1I1 .......... 41°00′ 67°20′ 1

1The U.S.-Canada Maritime Boundary. 

(5) Nantucket Lightship Closure Area. 

The Nantucket Lightship Closure Area 

is defined by straight lines connecting 

the following points in the order stated: 

NANTUCKET LIGHTSHIP CLOSURE AREA

Point N. lat. W. long. 

G10 .......... 40°50′ 69°00′ 

CN1 .......... 40°20′ 69°00′ 

CN2 .......... 40°20′ 70°20′ 

CN3 .......... 40°50′ 70°20′ 

NANTUCKET LIGHTSHIP CLOSURE

AREA—Continued 

Point N. lat. W. long. 

G10 .......... 40°50′ 69°00′ 

* * * * * 

§ 648.80 [Amended] 

■ 10. Amend § 648.80 as follows: 

■ a. Revise paragraph (a)(9)(i)(A), 

■ b. Revise paragraph (a)(11) 

introductory text and paragraph 

(a)(11)(i)(C), 

■ c. Revise the introductory texts in 

paragraphs (a)(13), (14), (15), (16), (18), 

and (19), 

■ d. Remove paragraph (b)(11)(ii)(D), 

■ e. Revise the introductory text for 

paragraph (d)(2) and revise paragraph 

(d)(2)(i), 

■ f. Revise paragraph (d)(5), and 

■ g. Revise paragraphs (g)(6)(i) and (ii). 

The revisions to read as follows: 

* * * * * 

(a) * * * 

(9) Small Mesh Area 1/Small Mesh 

Area 2. 

(i) Description. 

(A) Unless otherwise prohibited in 

§ 648.81, § 648.370, or § 648.371, a 

vessel subject to the minimum mesh 

size restrictions specified in paragraphs 

(a)(3) or (4) of this section may fish with 

or possess nets with a mesh size smaller 

than the minimum size, provided the 

vessel complies with the requirements 

of paragraphs (a)(5)(ii) or (a)(9)(ii) of this 

section, and § 648.86(d), from July 15 

through November 15, when fishing in 

Small Mesh Area 1; and from January 1 

through June 30, when fishing in Small 

Mesh Area 2. While lawfully fishing in 

these areas with mesh smaller than the 

minimum size, an owner or operator of 

any vessel may not fish for, possess on 

board, or land any species of fish other 

than: Silver hake and offshore hake, 

combined, and red hake—up to the 

amounts specified in § 648.86(d); 

butterfish, Atlantic mackerel, or squid, 

up the amounts specified in § 648.26; 

spiny dogfish, up to the amount 

specified in § 648.235; Atlantic herring, 

up to the amount specified in § 648.204; 

and scup, up to the amount specified in 

§ 648.128. 

* * * * * 

(11) GOM Scallop Dredge Exemption 

Area. Unless otherwise prohibited in 

§ 648.81, § 648.370, or § 648.371, vessels 

with a limited access scallop permit that 

have declared out of the DAS program 

as specified in § 648.10, or that have 

used up their DAS allocations, and 

vessels issued a General Category 

scallop permit, may fish in the GOM 

Regulated Mesh Area specified in 

paragraph (a)(1) of this section, when 

not under a NE multispecies DAS, 

providing the vessel fishes in the GOM 

Scallop Dredge Exemption Area and 

complies with the requirements 

specified in paragraph (a)(11)(i) of this 

section. The GOM Scallop Dredge 

Fishery Exemption Area is defined by 

the straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated 

(copies of a map depicting the area are 

available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request): 

* * * * * 

(i) * * * 

(C) The exemption does not apply to 

the Cashes Ledge Closure Area or the 

Western GOM Area Closure specified in 

§ 648.81(a)(3) and (4), respectively. 

* * * * * 

(13) GOM/GB Dogfish and Monkfish 

Gillnet Fishery Exemption Area. Unless 

otherwise prohibited in § 648.81, 

§ 648.370, or § 648.371, a vessel may 

fish with gillnets in the GOM/GB 

Dogfish and Monkfish Gillnet Fishery 

Exemption Area when not under a NE 

multispecies DAS if the vessel complies 

with the requirements specified in 

paragraph (a)(13)(i) of this section. The 

GOM/GB Dogfish and Monkfish Gillnet 

Fishery Exemption Area is defined by 

straight lines connecting the following 

points in the order stated: 

* * * * * 

(14) GOM/GB Dogfish Gillnet 

Exemption. Unless otherwise prohibited 

in § 648.81, § 648.370, or § 648.371, a 

vessel may fish with gillnets in the 

GOM/GB Dogfish and Monkfish Gillnet 

Fishery Exemption Area when not 

under a NE multispecies DAS if the 

vessel complies with the requirements 

specified in paragraph (a)(14)(i) of this 

section. The area coordinates of the 

GOM/GB Dogfish and Monkfish Gillnet 

Fishery Exemption Area are specified in 

paragraph (a)(13) of this section. 

* * * * * 

(15) Raised Footrope Trawl Exempted 

Whiting Fishery. Unless otherwise 

prohibited in § 648.370 or § 648.371, 

vessels subject to the minimum mesh 

size restrictions specified in paragraphs 

(a)(3) or (4) of this section may fish 

with, use, or possess nets in the Raised 

Footrope Trawl Whiting Fishery area 

with a mesh size smaller than the 

minimum size specified, if the vessel 

complies with the requirements 

specified in paragraph (a)(15)(i) of this 

section. This exemption does not apply 

to the Cashes Ledge Closure Areas or the 

Western GOM Area Closure specified in 

§ 648.81(a)(3) and (4), respectively. The 

Raised Footrope Trawl Whiting Fishery 

Area (copies of a chart depicting the 

area are available from the Regional 


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Administrator upon request) is defined 

by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated: 

* * * * * 

(16) GOM Grate Raised Footrope 

Trawl Exempted Whiting Fishery. 

Unless otherwise prohibited in 

§ 648.370 or § 648.371, vessels subject to 

the minimum mesh size restrictions 

specified in paragraphs (a)(3) or (4) of 

this section may fish with, use, and 

possess in the GOM Grate Raised 

Footrope Trawl Whiting Fishery area 

from July 1 through November 30 of 

each year, nets with a mesh size smaller 

than the minimum size specified, if the 

vessel complies with the requirements 

specified in paragraphs (a)(16)(i) and (ii) 

of this section. The GOM Grate Raised 

Footrope Trawl Whiting Fishery Area 

(copies of a chart depicting the area are 

available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request) is defined 

by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated: 

* * * * * 

(18) Great South Channel Scallop 

Dredge Exemption Area. Unless 

otherwise prohibited in § 648.370 or 

§ 648.371, vessels issued a LAGC 

scallop permit, including limited access 

scallop permits that have used up their 

DAS allocations, may fish in the Great 

South Channel Scallop Dredge 

Exemption Area, as defined under 

paragraph (a)(18)(i) of this section, when 

not under a NE multispecies or scallop 

DAS or on a sector trip, provided the 

vessel complies with the requirements 

specified in paragraph (a)(18)(ii) of this 

section and applicable scallop 

regulations in subpart D of this chapter. 

* * * * * 

(19) Cape Cod Spiny Dogfish 

Exemption Areas. Unless otherwise 

prohibited in § 648.370 or § 648.371, 

vessels issued a NE multispecies limited 

access permit that have declared out of 

the DAS program as specified in 

§ 648.10, or that have used up their DAS 

allocations, may fish in the Eastern or 

Western Cape Cod Spiny Dogfish 

Exemption Area as defined under 

paragraph (a)(19)(i) through (a)(19)(ii) of 

this section, when not under a NE 

multispecies or scallop DAS, provided 

the vessel complies with the 

requirements for the Eastern or Western 

area, specified in paragraph (a)(19)(i) 

and (a)(19)(ii) of this section, 

respectively. 

* * * * * 

(d) * * * 

(2) When fishing under this 

exemption in the GOM/GB Exemption 

Area, as defined in paragraph (a)(17) of 

this section, the vessel has on board a 

letter of authorization issued by the 

Regional Administrator, and complies 

with the following restrictions: 

(i) The vessel only fishes for, 

possesses, or lands Atlantic herring, 

blueback herring, or mackerel in areas 

north of 42°20′ N. lat. and in the areas 

described in § 648.81(c)(3), and (c)(4); 

and Atlantic herring, blueback herring, 

mackerel, or squid in all other areas 

south of 42°20′ N. lat.; and 

* * * * * 

(5) To fish for herring under this 

exemption, a vessel issued an All Areas 

Limited Access Herring Permit and/or 

an Areas 2 and 3 Limited Access 

Herring Permit fishing on a declared 

herring trip, or a vessel issued a Limited 

Access Incidental Catch Herring Permit 

and/or an Open Access Herring Permit 

fishing with midwater trawl gear in 

Management Areas 1A, 1B, and/or 3, as 

defined in § 648.200(f)(1) and (3), must 

provide notice of the following 

information to NMFS at least 72 hr prior 

to beginning any trip into these areas for 

the purposes of observer deployment: 

Vessel name; contact name for 

coordination of observer deployment; 

telephone number for contact; the date, 

time, and port of departure; and 

whether the vessel intends to engage in 

fishing in Closed Area I, as defined in 

§ 648.81(c)(3), at any point in the trip; 

and 

* * * * * 

(g) * * * 

(6) Gillnet requirements to reduce or 

prevent marine mammal takes—(i) 

Requirements for gillnet gear capable of 

catching NE multispecies to reduce 

harbor porpoise takes. In addition to the 

requirements for gillnet fishing 

identified in this section, all persons 

owning or operating vessels in the EEZ 

that fish with sink gillnet gear and other 

gillnet gear capable of catching NE 

multispecies, with the exception of 

single pelagic gillnets (as described in 

§ 648.81(b)(2)(ii) and (d)(5)(ii)), must 

comply with the applicable provisions 

of the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction 

Plan found in § 229.33 of this title. 

(ii) Requirements for gillnet gear 

capable of catching NE multispecies to 

prevent large whale takes. In addition to 

the requirements for gillnet fishing 

identified in this section, all persons 

owning or operating vessels in the EEZ 

that fish with sink gillnet gear and other 

gillnet gear capable of catching NE 

multispecies, with the exception of 

single pelagic gillnets (as described in 

§ 648.81(b)(2)(ii) and (d)(5)(ii)), must 

comply with the applicable provisions 

of the Atlantic Large Whale Take 

Reduction Plan found in § 229.32 of this 

title. 

* * * * * 

■ 11. Revise § 648.81 to read as follows: 

§ 648.81 NE multispecies year-round and 

seasonal closed areas. 

(a) Year-round groundfish closed 

areas. (1) No fishing vessel or person on 

a fishing vessel may enter, fish, or be in, 

and no fishing gear capable of catching 

NE multispecies may be used or on 

board a vessel in, the Cashes Ledge or 

Western Gulf of Maine Closure Areas, 

unless otherwise allowed by or 

exempted under this part. Charts of the 

areas described in this section are 

available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request. 

(2) Exemptions. Unless restricted by 

the requirements of subpart (P) or 

elsewhere in this part, paragraph (a)(1) 

of this section does not apply to a 

fishing vessel or person on a fishing 

vessel when fishing under the following 

conditions: 

(i) Fishing with or using exempted 

gear as defined under this part, except 

for pelagic gillnet gear capable of 

catching NE multispecies, unless fishing 

with a single pelagic gillnet not longer 

than 300 ft (91.4 m) and not greater than 

6 ft (1.83 m) deep, with a maximum 

mesh size of 3 inches (7.6 cm), provided 

that: 

(A) The net is attached to the boat and 

fished in the upper two-thirds of the 

water column; 

(B) The net is marked with the 

owner’s name and vessel identification 

number; 

(C) No regulated species or ocean pout 

are retained; and 

(D) No other gear capable of catching 

NE multispecies is on board; 

(ii) Fishing in the Midwater Trawl 

Gear Exempted Fishery as specified in 

§ 648.80(d); 

(iii) Fishing in the Purse Seine Gear 

Exempted Fishery as specified in 

§ 648.80(e); 

(iv) Fishing under charter/party or 

recreational regulations specified in 

§ 648.89, provided that: 

(A) A letter of authorization issued by 

the Regional Administrator is onboard 

the vessel, which is valid from the date 

of enrollment until the end of the 

fishing year; 

(B) No harvested or possessed fish 

species managed by the NEFMC or 

MAFMC are sold or intended for trade, 

barter or sale, regardless of where the 

fish are caught; 

(C) Only rod and reel or handline gear 

is on board the vessel; and 

(D) No NE multispecies DAS are used 

during the entire period for which the 

letter of authorization is valid. 

(3) Cashes Ledge Closure Area. The 

Cashes Ledge Closure Area is defined by 

straight lines connecting the following 

points in the order stated: 


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CASHES LEDGE CLOSURE AREA

Point N. lat. W. long. 

CL1 ........... 43°07′ 69°02′ 

CL2 ........... 42°49.5′ 68°46′ 

CL3 ........... 42°46.5′ 68°50.5′ 

CL4 ........... 42°43.5′ 68°58.5′ 

CL5 ........... 42°42.5′ 69°17.5′ 

CL6 ........... 42°49.5′ 69°26′ 

CL1 ........... 43°07′ 69°02′ 

(4) Western Gulf of Maine Closure 

Area. The Western Gulf of Maine 

Closure Area is defined by straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated: 

WESTERN GULF OF MAINE CLOSURE

AREA

Point N. lat. W. long. 

WGM1 ...... 42°15′ 70°15′ 

WGM2 ...... 42°15′ 69°55′ 

WGM3 ...... 43°15′ 69°55′ 

WGM4 ...... 43°15′ 70°15′ 

WGM1 ...... 42°15′ 70°15′ 

(b) Gulf of Maine spawning 

groundfish closures. (1) Unless allowed 

in this part, no fishing vessel or person 

on a fishing vessel may enter, fish, or be 

in, and no fishing gear capable of 

catching NE multispecies may be used 

or on board a vessel in, the spawning 

closure areas described in paragraphs 

(b)(3) and (b)(4), during the times 

specified in this section. Charts 

depicting the areas defined here are 

available from the RA upon request. 

(2) Exemptions. Paragraph (b)(1) of 

this section does not apply to a fishing 

vessel or person on a fishing vessel: 

(i) That has not been issued a NE 

multispecies permit that is fishing 

exclusively in state waters; 

(ii) That is fishing with or using 

exempted gear as defined under this 

part, excluding pelagic gillnet gear 

capable of catching NE multispecies, 

except for a vessel fishing with a single 

pelagic gillnet not longer than 300 ft 

(91.4 m) and not greater than 6 ft (1.83 

m) deep, with a maximum mesh size of 

3 inches (7.6 cm), provided: 

(A) The net is attached to the vessel 

and fished in the upper two-thirds of 

the water column; 

(B) The net is marked with the vessel 

owner’s name and vessel identification 

number; 

(C) No regulated species or ocean pout 

are retained; and 

(D) No other gear capable of catching 

NE multispecies is on board; 

(iii) That is fishing as a charter/party 

or recreational fishing vessel, provided 

that: 

(A) With the exception of tuna, fish 

harvested or possessed by the vessel are 

not sold or intended for trade, barter, or 

sale, regardless of where the species are 

caught; 

(B) Any gear other than pelagic hook 

and line gear, as defined in this part, is 

properly stowed and not available for 

immediate use as defined in § 648.2; 

and 

(C) No regulated species or ocean pout 

are retained; and 

(iv) That is transiting pursuant to 

paragraph (e) of this section. 

(3) GOM Cod Spawning Protection 

Area. Except as specified in paragraph 

(b)(2) of this section, from April through 

June of each year, no fishing vessel or 

person on a fishing vessel may enter, 

fish, or be in, and no fishing gear 

capable of catching NE multispecies 

may be used or on board a vessel in, the 

GOM Cod Spawning Protection Area, as 

defined by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated: 

GOM COD SPAWNING PROTECTION

AREA

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

CSPA1 ..... 42°50.95′ 70°32.22′ 

CSPA2 ..... 42°47.65′ 70°35.64′ 

CSPA3 ..... 42°54.91′ 70°41.88′ 

CSPA4 ..... 42°58.27′ 70°38.64′ 

CSPA1 ..... 42°50.95′ 70°32.22′ 

(4) Winter Massachusetts Bay 

Spawning Protection Area. Except as 

specified in paragraph (b)(2) of this 

section, from November 1 through 

January 31 of each year, no fishing 

vessel or person on a fishing vessel may 

enter, fish, or be in, and no fishing gear 

capable of catching NE multispecies 

may be used or be on board a vessel in, 

the Massachusetts Bay Spawning 

Protection Area, as defined by a straight 

line connecting the following points 

along the Massachusetts state waters 

boundary: 

WINTER MASSACHUSETTS BAY

SPAWNING PROTECTION AREA

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 42°23.6′ 70°39.2′ 

2 ............... 42°07.7′ 70°26.8′ 

(1) Western/southern boundary at 

Massachusetts state waters 

(5) Spring Massachusetts Bay 

Spawning Protection Area. (i) From 

April 15 through April 30 of each year, 

no fishing vessel or person on a fishing 

vessel may enter, fish, or be in, and no 

fishing gear capable of catching NE 

multispecies may be used or on board 

a vessel in the thirty- minute block 

defined by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated: 

SPRING MASSACHUSETTS BAY

SPAWNING PROTECTION AREA

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 42°00′ 70°30′ 

2 ............... 42°30′ 70°30′ 

3 ............... Massachusetts coastline south 

of Duxbury and 42°00′ N. 

4 ............... Massachusetts coastline near 

Marblehead and 42°30′ N. 

(ii) Unless otherwise restricted in this 

part, the Block 125 closure does not 

apply to a fishing vessel or person on a 

fishing vessel that meets the criteria in 

paragraphs (d)(5)(ii) through (vi) and 

(d)(5)(x) of this section (listed under the 

exemptions for the GOM Cod Protection 

Closures). This includes recreational 

vessels meeting the criteria specified in 

paragraphs (d)(5)(v)(A) through (D) of 

this section. 

(c) Georges Bank Spawning 

Groundfish Closures. (1) Unless 

otherwise allowed in this part, no 

fishing vessel or person on a fishing 

vessel may enter, fish, or be in, and no 

fishing gear capable of catching NE 

multispecies may be used on board a 

vessel in the spawning closure areas 

described in paragraphs (b)(3) and 

(b)(4), and during the times specified in 

this section. Charts depicting the areas 

defined here are available from the RA 

upon request. 

(2) Exemptions. Paragraph (c)(1) of 

this section does not apply to a fishing 

vessel or person on a fishing vessel: 

(i) That is fishing with or using 

exempted gear as defined under this 

part, excluding pelagic gillnet gear 

capable of catching NE multispecies, 

except for vessels fishing with a single 

pelagic gillnet not longer than 300 ft 

(91.4 m) and not greater than 6 ft (1.83 

m) deep, with a maximum mesh size of 

3 inches (7.6 cm), provided: 

(A) The net is attached to the vessel 

and fished in the upper two-thirds of 

the water column; 

(B) The net is marked with the vessel 

owner’s name and vessel identification 

number; 

(C) No regulated species or ocean pout 

are retained; and 

(D) No other gear capable of catching 

NE multispecies is on board; 

(ii) That is fishing for scallops 

consistent with the requirements of the 

scallop fishery management plan, 

including rotational access program 

requirements specified in § 648.59. 

(iii) That is fishing in the mid-water 

trawl exempted fishery 


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(iv) That is transiting pursuant to the 

requirements described in § 648.2. 

(3) Closed Area I North. Except as 

specified in paragraph (c)(2) of this 

section, from February 1 through April 

15 of each year, no fishing vessel or 

person on a fishing vessel may enter, 

fish, or be in; and no fishing gear 

capable of catching NE multispecies 

may be used or on board a vessel in, 

Closed Area I North, as defined by 

straight lines connecting the following 

points in the order stated: 

CLOSED AREA I—NORTH

Point N. lat. W. long. 

CI1 ............ 41°30′ 69°23′ 

CI4 ............ 41°30′ 68°30′ 

CIH1 ......... 41°26′ 68°30′ 

CIH2 ......... 41°04′ 69°01′ 

CI1 ............ 41°30′ 69°23′ 

(4) Closed Area II. Except as specified 

in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, from 

February 1 through April 15 of each 

year, no fishing vessel or person on a 

fishing vessel may enter, fish, or be in, 

and no fishing gear capable of catching 

NE multispecies may be used or on 

board a vessel in, Closed Area II, as 

defined by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated: 

CLOSED AREA II 

Point N. lat. W. long. 

C1I1 .......... 41°00′ 67°20′ 

C1I2 .......... 41°00′ 66°35.8′ 

G5 ............ 41°18.6′ 66°24.8′ 1

C1I3 .......... 42°22′ 67°20′ 1

C1I1 .......... 41°00′ 67°20′ 1

(d) GOM Cod Protection Closures. (1) 

Unless otherwise allowed in this part, 

no fishing vessel or person on a fishing 

vessel may enter, fish, or be in, and no 

fishing gear capable of catching NE 

multispecies may be used or on board 

a vessel in, GOM Cod Protection 

Closures I through V as described, and 

during the times specified, in 

paragraphs (d)(4)(i) through (v) of this 

section. 

(2) The New England Fishery 

Management Council shall review the 

GOM Cod Protection Closures Areas 

specified in this section when the 

spawning stock biomass for GOM cod 

reaches the minimum biomass threshold 

specified for the stock (50 percent of 

SSBMSY). 

(3) Seasons. (i) GOM Cod Protection 

Closure I is in effect from May 1 through 

May 31. 

(ii) GOM Cod Protection Closure II is 

in effect from June 1 through June 30. 

(iii) GOM Cod Protection Closure III is 

in effect from November 1 through 

January 31. 

(iv) GOM Cod Protection Closure IV is 

in effect from October 1 through October 

31. 

(v) GOM Cod Protection Closure V is 

in effect from March 1 through March 

31. 

(4) GOM Cod Protection Closure 

Areas. Charts depicting these areas are 

available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request. 

(i) GOM Cod Protection Closure I. 

GOM Cod Protection Closure I is the 

area bounded by the following 

coordinates connected in the order 

stated by straight lines: 

GOM COD PROTECTION CLOSURE I 

[May 1–May 31] 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

CPCI 1 ..... 43°30′ N. (1) 

CPCI 2 ..... 43°30′ N. 69°30′ W. 

CPCI 3 ..... 43°00′ N. 69°30′ W. 

CPCI 4 ..... 43°00′ N. 70°00′ W. 

CPCI 5 ..... 42°30′ N. 70°00′ W. 

CPCI 6 ..... 42°30′ N. 70°30′ W. 

CPCI 7 ..... 42°20′ N. 70°30′ W. 

CPCI 8 ..... 42°20′ N. (2) (3) 

CPCI 1 ..... 43°30′ N. (1) (3) 

1The intersection of 43°30′ N. latitude and 

the coastline of Maine. 2The intersection of 42°20′ N. latitude and 

the coastline of Massachusetts. 3From Point 8 back to Point 1 following the 

coastline of the United States. 

(ii) GOM Cod Protection Closure II. 

GOM Cod Protection Closure II is the 

area bounded by the following 

coordinates connected in the order 

stated by straight lines: 

GOM COD PROTECTION CLOSURE II 

[June 1–June 30] 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

CPCII 1 .... (1) 69°30′ W. 

CPCII 2 .... 43°30′ N. 69°30′ W. 

CPCII 3 .... 43°30′ N. 70°00′ W. 

CPCII 4 .... 42°30′ N. 70°00′ W. 

CPCII 5 .... 42°30′ N. 70°30′ W. 

CPCII 6 .... 42°20′ N. 70°30′ W. 

CPCII 7 .... 42°20′ N. (2) (3) 

CPCII 8 .... 42°30′ N. (4) (3) 

CPCII 9 .... 42°30′ N. 70°30′ W. 

CPCII 10 .. 43°00′ N. 70°30′ W. 

CPCII 11 .. 43°00′ N. (5) (6) 

CPCII 1 .... (1) 69°30′ W.6

1The intersection of 69°30′ W. longitude 

and the coastline of Maine. 2The intersection of 42°20′ N. latitude and 

the coastline of Massachusetts. 3From Point 7 to Point 8 following the 

coastline of Massachusetts. 4The intersection of 42°30′ N. latitude and 

the coastline of Massachusetts. 5The intersection of 43°00′ N. latitude and 

the coastline of New Hampshire. 

6From Point 11 back to Point 1 following 

the coastlines of New Hampshire and Maine. 

(iii) GOM Cod Protection Closure III. 

GOM Cod Protection Closure III is the 

area bounded by the following 

coordinates connected in the order 

stated by straight lines: 

GOM COD PROTECTION CLOSURE III 

[November 1–January 31] 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

CPCIII 1 ... 42°30′ N. (1) 

CPCIII 2 ... 42°30′ N. 70°30′ W. 

CPCIII 3 ... 42°15′ N. 70°30′ W. 

CPCIII 4 ... 42°15′ N. 70°24′ W. 

CPCIII 5 ... 42°00′ N. 70°24′ W. 

CPCIII 6 ... 42°00′ N. (2) (3) 

CPCIII 1 ... 42°30′ N. (1) (3) 

1The intersection of 42°30′ N. latitude and 

the Massachusetts coastline. 2The intersection of 42°00′ N. latitude and 

the mainland Massachusetts coastline at Kingston, MA. 3From Point 6 back to Point 1 following the 

coastline of Massachusetts. 

(iv) GOM Cod Protection Closure IV. 

GOM Cod Protection Closure IV is the 

area bounded by the following 

coordinates connected in the order 

stated by straight lines: 

GOM COD PROTECTION CLOSURE IV 

[October 1–October 31] 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

CPCIV 1 ... 42°30′ N. (1) 

CPCIV 2 ... 42°30′ N. 70°00′ W. 

CPCIV 3 ... 42°00′ N. 70°00′ W. 

CPCIV 4 ... 42°00′ N. (2) (3) 

CPCIV 1 ... 42°30′ N. (1) (3) 

1The intersection of 42°30′ N. latitude and 

the Massachusetts coastline. 2The intersection of 42°00′ N. latitude and 

the mainland Massachusetts coastline at Kingston, MA. 3From Point 4 back to Point 1 following the 

coastline of Massachusetts. 

(v) GOM Cod Protection Closure V. 

GOM Cod Protection Closure V is the 

area bounded by the following 

coordinates connected in the order 

stated by straight lines: 

GOM COD PROTECTION CLOSURE V 

[March 1–March 31] 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

CPCV 1 .... 42°30′ N. 70°00′ W. 

CPCV 2 .... 42°30′ N. 68°30′ W. 

CPCV 3 .... 42°00′ N. 68°30′ W. 

CPCV 4 .... 42°00′ N. 70°00′ W. 

CPCV 1 .... 42°30′ N. 70°00′ W. 

(5) The GOM cod protection closures 

specified in this section do not apply to 

a fishing vessel or person on board a 


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fishing vessel under any of the 

following conditions: 

(i) No multispecies permit has been 

issued and the vessel is fishing 

exclusively in state waters; 

(ii) Fishing with or using exempted 

gear as defined under this part, except 

for pelagic gillnet gear capable of 

catching NE multispecies, unless fishing 

with a single pelagic gillnet not longer 

than 300 ft (91.4 m) and not greater than 

6 ft (1.83 m) deep, with a maximum 

mesh size of 3 inches (7.6 cm), provided 

that: 

(A) The net is attached to the boat and 

fished in the upper two-thirds of the 

water column; 

(B) The net is marked with the 

owner’s name and vessel identification 

number; 

(C) No regulated species are retained; 

and 

(D) No other gear capable of catching 

NE multispecies is on board; 

(iii) Fishing in the Midwater Trawl 

Gear Exempted Fishery as specified in 

§ 648.80(d); 

(iv) Fishing in the Purse Seine Gear 

Exempted Fishery as specified in 

§ 648.80(e); 

(v) Fishing under charter/party or 

recreational regulations specified in 

§ 648.89, provided that: 

(A) A vessel fishing under charter/ 

party regulations in a GOM cod 

protection closure described under 

paragraph (f)(4) of this section, has on 

board a letter of authorization issued by 

the Regional Administrator that is valid 

from the date of enrollment through the 

duration of the closure or 3 months 

duration, whichever is greater; 

(B) No harvested or possessed fish 

species managed by the NEFMC or 

MAFMC are sold or intended for trade, 

barter or sale, regardless of where the 

fish are caught; 

(C) Only rod and reel or handline gear 

is on board; and 

(D) No NE multispecies DAS are used 

during the entire period for which the 

letter of authorization is valid; 

(vi) Fishing with scallop dredge gear 

under a scallop DAS or when lawfully 

fishing in the Scallop Dredge Fishery 

Exemption Area as described in 

§ 648.80(a)(11), provided the vessel does 

not retain any regulated NE 

multispecies during a trip, or on any 

part of a trip; 

(vii) Fishing in the Raised Footrope 

Trawl Exempted Whiting Fishery, as 

specified in § 648.80(a)(15), or in the 

Small Mesh Area II Exemption Area, as 

specified in § 648.80(a)(9); 

(viii) Fishing on a sector trip, as 

defined in this part, and in the GOM 

Cod Protection Closures IV or V, as 

specified in paragraphs (f)(4)(iv) and (v) 

of this section; or 

(ix) Fishing under the provisions of a 

Northeast multispecies Handgear A 

permit, as specified at § 648.82(b)(6), 

and in the GOM Cod Protection 

Closures IV or V, as specified in 

paragraphs (f)(4)(iv) and (v) of this 

section. 

(x) Transiting the area, provided it 

complies with the requirements 

specified in paragraph (e) of this 

section. 

(e) Transiting. (1) Unless otherwise 

restricted or specified in this paragraph 

(e), a vessel may transit the Cashes 

Ledge Closed Area, the Western GOM 

Closure Area, the GOM Cod Protection 

Closures, and the GOM Cod Spawning 

Protection Area, as defined in 

paragraphs (a)(3), (a)(4), (d)(4), (b)(3), of 

this section, respectively, provided that 

its gear is stowed and not available for 

immediate use as defined in § 648.2. 

(2) Private recreational or charter/ 

party vessels fishing under the 

Northeast multispecies provisions 

specified at § 648.89 may transit the 

GOM Cod Spawning Protection Area, as 

defined in paragraph (b)(3) of this 

section, provided all bait and hooks are 

removed from fishing rods, and any 

regulated species on board have been 

caught outside the GOM Cod Spawning 

Protection Area and has been gutted and 

stored. 

(f) Restricted Gear Areas. (1) 

Restricted Gear Area Seasons. No 

fishing vessel with mobile gear on 

board, or person on a fishing vessel with 

mobile gear on board, may fish or be in 

the specified Restricted Gear Areas, 

unless transiting, during the seasons 

below. No fishing vessel with lobster 

pot gear on board, or person on a fishing 

vessel with lobster pot gear on board, 

may fish in, and no lobster pot gear may 

be deployed or remain in the specified 

Restricted Gear Areas. Vessels with 

lobster pot gear on board may transit 

during the seasons below. 

Mobile gear Lobster pot gear 

Restricted Gear Area I ....................................... October 1–June 15 .......................................... June 16–September 30. 

Restricted Gear Area II ...................................... November 27–June 15 .................................... June 16–November 26. 

Restricted Gear Area III ..................................... June 16–November 26 .................................... January 1–April 30. 

Restricted Gear Area IV ..................................... June 16–September 30 ................................... n/a. 

(2) Vessels with mobile gear may 

transit this area, provided that all 

mobile gear is on board the vessel while 

inside the area, and is stowed and not 

available for immediate use as defined 

in § 648.2. 

(3) Restricted Gear Area I. Restricted 

Gear Area I is defined by straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated: 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

Inshore Boundary 

to 120 

69 ............. 40°07.9′ 68°36.0′ 

70 ............. 40°07.2′ 68°38.4′ 

71 ............. 40°06.9′ 68°46.5′ 

72 ............. 40°08.7′ 68°49.6′ 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

73 ............. 40°08.1′ 68°51.0′ 

74 ............. 40°05.7′ 68°52.4′ 

75 ............. 40°03.6′ 68°57.2′ 

76 ............. 40°03.65′ 69°00.0′ 

77 ............. 40°04.35′ 69°00.5′ 

78 ............. 40°05.2′ 69°00.5′ 

79 ............. 40°05.3′ 69°01.1′ 

80 ............. 40°08.9′ 69°01.75′ 

81 ............. 40°11.0′ 69°03.8′ 

82 ............. 40°11.6′ 69°05.4′ 

83 ............. 40°10.25′ 69°04.4′ 

84 ............. 40°09.75′ 69°04.15′ 

85 ............. 40°08.45′ 69°03.6′ 

86 ............. 40°05.65′ 69°03.55′ 

87 ............. 40°04.1′ 69°03.9′ 

88 ............. 40°02.65′ 69°05.6′ 

89 ............. 40°02.00′ 69°08.35′ 

90 ............. 40°02.65′ 69°11.15′ 

91 ............. 40°00.05′ 69°14.6′ 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

92 ............. 39°57.8′ 69°20.35′ 

93 ............. 39°56.65′ 69°24.4′ 

94 ............. 39°56.1′ 69°26.35′ 

95 ............. 39°56.55′ 69°34.1′ 

96 ............. 39°57.85′ 69°35.5′ 

97 ............. 40°00.65′ 69°36.5′ 

98 ............. 40°00.9′ 69°37.3′ 

99 ............. 39°59.15′ 69°37.3′ 

100 ........... 39°58.8′ 69°38.45′ 

102 ........... 39°56.2′ 69°40.2′ 

103 ........... 39°55.75′ 69°41.4′ 

104 ........... 39°56.7′ 69°53.6′ 

105 ........... 39°57.55′ 69°54.05′ 

106 ........... 39°57.4′ 69°55.9′ 

107 ........... 39°56.9′ 69°57.45′ 

108 ........... 39°58.25′ 70°03.0′ 

110 ........... 39°59.2′ 70°04.9′ 

111 ........... 40°00.7′ 70°08.7′ 

112 ........... 40°03.75′ 70°10.15′ 


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Point N. latitude W. longitude 

115 ........... 40°05.2′ 70°10.9′ 

116 ........... 40°02.45′ 70°14.1′ 

119 ........... 40°02.75′ 70°16.1′ 

to 181 

Offshore Boundary 

to 69 

120 ........... 40°06.4′ 68°35.8′ 

121 ........... 40°05.25′ 68°39.3′ 

122 ........... 40°05.4′ 68°44.5′ 

123 ........... 40°06.0′ 68°46.5′ 

124 ........... 40°07.4′ 68°49.6′ 

125 ........... 40°05.55′ 68°49.8′ 

126 ........... 40°03.9′ 68°51.7′ 

127 ........... 40°02.25′ 68°55.4′ 

128 ........... 40°02.6′ 69°00.0′ 

129 ........... 40°02.75′ 69°00.75′ 

130 ........... 40°04.2′ 69°01.75′ 

131 ........... 40°06.15′ 69°01.95′ 

132 ........... 40°07.25′ 69°02.0′ 

133 ........... 40°08.5′ 69°02.25′ 

134 ........... 40°09.2′ 69°02.95′ 

135 ........... 40°09.75′ 69°03.3′ 

136 ........... 40°09.55′ 69°03.85′ 

137 ........... 40°08.4′ 69°03.4′ 

138 ........... 40°07.2′ 69°03.3′ 

139 ........... 40°06.0′ 69°03.1′ 

140 ........... 40°05.4′ 69°03.05′ 

141 ........... 40°04.8′ 69°03.05′ 

142 ........... 40°03.55′ 69°03.55′ 

143 ........... 40°01.9′ 69°03.95′ 

144 ........... 40°01.0′ 69°04.4′ 

146 ........... 39°59.9′ 69°06.25′ 

147 ........... 40°00.6′ 69°10.05′ 

148 ........... 39°59.25′ 69°11.15′ 

149 ........... 39°57.45′ 69°16.05′ 

150 ........... 39°56.1′ 69°20.1′ 

151 ........... 39°54.6′ 69°25.65′ 

152 ........... 39°54.65′ 69°26.9′ 

153 ........... 39°54.8′ 69°30.95′ 

154 ........... 39°54.35′ 69°33.4′ 

155 ........... 39°55.0′ 69°34.9′ 

156 ........... 39°56.55′ 69°36.0′ 

157 ........... 39°57.95′ 69°36.45′ 

158 ........... 39°58.75′ 69°36.3′ 

159 ........... 39°58.8′ 69°36.95′ 

160 ........... 39°57.95′ 69°38.1′ 

161 ........... 39°54.5′ 69°38.25′ 

162 ........... 39°53.6′ 69°46.5′ 

163 ........... 39°54.7′ 69°50.0′ 

164 ........... 39°55.25′ 69°51.4′ 

165 ........... 39°55.2′ 69°53.1′ 

166 ........... 39°54.85′ 69°53.9′ 

167 ........... 39°55.7′ 69°54.9′ 

168 ........... 39°56.15′ 69°55.35′ 

169 ........... 39°56.05′ 69°56.25′ 

170 ........... 39°55.3′ 69°57.1′ 

171 ........... 39°54.8′ 69°58.6′ 

172 ........... 39°56.05′ 70°00.65′ 

173 ........... 39°55.3′ 70°02.95′ 

174 ........... 39°56.9′ 70°11.3′ 

175 ........... 39°58.9′ 70°11.5′ 

176 ........... 39°59.6′ 70°11.1′ 

177 ........... 40°01.35′ 70°11.2′ 

178 ........... 40°02.6′ 70°12.0′ 

179 ........... 40°00.4′ 70°12.3′ 

180 ........... 39°59.75′ 70°13.05′ 

181 ........... 39°59.3′ 70°14.0′ 

to 119 

(4) Restricted Gear Area II. Restricted 

Gear Area II is defined by straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated: 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

Inshore Boundary 

to 1 

49 ............. 40°02.75′ N. 70°16.1′ W. 

50 ............. 40°00.7′ N. 70°18.6′ W. 

51 ............. 39°59.8′ N. 70°21.75′ W. 

52 ............. 39°59.75′ N. 70°25.5′ W. 

53 ............. 40°03.85′ N. 70°28.75′ W. 

54 ............. 40°00.55′ N. 70°32.1′ W. 

55 ............. 39°59.15′ N. 70°34.45′ W. 

56 ............. 39°58.9′ N. 70°38.65′ W. 

57 ............. 40°00.1′ N. 70°45.1′ W. 

58 ............. 40°00.5′ N. 70°57.6′ W. 

59 ............. 40°02.0′ N. 71°01.3′ W. 

60 ............. 39°59.3′ N. 71°18.4′ W. 

61 ............. 40°00.7′ N. 71°19.8′ W. 

62 ............. 39°57.5′ N. 71°20.6′ W. 

63 ............. 39°53.1′ N. 71°36.1′ W. 

64 ............. 39°52.6′ N. 71°40.35′ W. 

65 ............. 39°53.1′ N. 71°42.7′ W. 

66 ............. 39°46.95′ N. 71°49.0′ W. 

67 ............. 39°41.15′ N. 71°57.1′ W. 

68 ............. 39°35.45′ N. 72°02.0′ W. 

69 ............. 39°32.65′ N. 72°06.1′ W. 

70 ............. 39°29.75′ N. 72°09.8′ W. 

to 48 

Offshore Boundary 

to 49 

1 ............... 39°59.3′ N. 70°14.0′ W. 

2 ............... 39°58.85′ N. 70°15.2′ W. 

3 ............... 39°59.3′ N. 70°18.4′ W. 

4 ............... 39°58.1′ N. 70°19.4′ W. 

5 ............... 39°57.0′ N. 70°19.85′ W. 

6 ............... 39°57.55′ N. 70°21.25′ W. 

7 ............... 39°57.5′ N. 70°22.8′ W. 

8 ............... 39°57.1′ N. 70°25.4′ W. 

9 ............... 39°57.65′ N. 70°27.05′ W. 

10 ............. 39°58.58′ N. 70°27.7′ W. 

11 ............. 40°00.65′ N. 70°28.8′ W. 

12 ............. 40°02.2′ N. 70°29.15′ W. 

13 ............. 40°01.0′ N. 70°30.2′ W. 

14 ............. 39°58.58′ N. 70°31.85′ W. 

15 ............. 39°57.05′ N. 70°34.35′ W. 

16 ............. 39°56.42′ N. 70°36.8′ W. 

21 ............. 39°58.15′ N. 70°48.0′ W. 

24 ............. 39°58.3′ N. 70°51.1′ W. 

25 ............. 39°58.1′ N. 70°52.25′ W. 

26 ............. 39°58.05′ N. 70°53.55′ W. 

27 ............. 39°58.4′ N. 70°59.6′ W. 

28 ............. 39°59.8′ N. 71°01.05′ W. 

29 ............. 39°58.2′ N. 71°05.85′ W. 

30 ............. 39°57.45′ N. 71°12.15′ W. 

31 ............. 39°57.2′ N. 71°15.0′ W. 

32 ............. 39°56.3′ N. 71°18.95′ W. 

33 ............. 39°51.4′ N. 71°36.1′ W. 

34 ............. 39°51.75′ N. 71°41.5′ W. 

35 ............. 39°50.05′ N. 71°42.5′ W. 

36 ............. 39°50.0′ N. 71°45.0′ W. 

37 ............. 39°48.95′ N. 71°46.05′ W. 

38 ............. 39°46.6′ N. 71°46.1′ W. 

39 ............. 39°43.5′ N. 71°49.4′ W. 

40 ............. 39°41.3′ N. 71°55.0′ W. 

41 ............. 39°39.0′ N. 71°55.6′ W. 

42 ............. 39°36.72′ N. 71°58.25′ W. 

43 ............. 39°35.15′ N. 71°58.55′ W. 

44 ............. 39°34.5′ N. 72°00.75′ W. 

45 ............. 39°32.2′ N. 72°02.25′ W. 

46 ............. 39°32.15′ N. 72°04.1′ W. 

47 ............. 39°28.5′ N. 72°06.5′ W. 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

48 ............. 39°29.0′ N. 72°09.25′ W. 

to 70 

(5) Restricted Gear Area III. Restricted 

Gear Area III is defined by straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated: 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

Inshore Boundary 

to 49 

182 ........... 40°05.6′ N. 70°17.7′ W. 

183 ........... 40°06.5′ N. 70°40.05′ W. 

184 ........... 40°11.05′ N. 70°45.8′ W. 

185 ........... 40°12.75′ N. 70°55.05′ W. 

186 ........... 40°10.7′ N. 71°10.25′ W. 

187 ........... 39°57.9′ N. 71°28.7′ W. 

188 ........... 39°55.6′ N. 71°41.2′ W. 

189 ........... 39°55.85′ N. 71°45.0′ W. 

190 ........... 39°53.75′ N. 71°52.25′ W. 

191 ........... 39°47.2′ N. 72°01.6′ W. 

192 ........... 39°33.65′ N. 72°15.0′ W. 

to 70 

Offshore Boundary 

to 182 

49 ............. 40°02.75′ N. 70°16.1′ W. 

50 ............. 40°00.7′ N. 70°18.6′ W. 

51 ............. 39°59.8′ N. 70°21.75′ W. 

52 ............. 39°59.75′ N. 70°25.5′ W. 

53 ............. 40°03.85′ N. 70°28.75′ W. 

54 ............. 40°00.55′ N. 70°32.1′ W. 

55 ............. 39°59.15′ N. 70°34.45′ W. 

56 ............. 39°58.9′ N. 70°38.65′ W. 

57 ............. 40°00.1′ N. 70°45.1′ W. 

58 ............. 40°00.5′ N. 70°57.6′ W. 

59 ............. 40°02.0′ N. 71°01.3′ W. 

60 ............. 39°59.3′ N. 71°18.4′ W. 

61 ............. 40°00.7′ N. 71°19.8′ W. 

62 ............. 39°57.5′ N. 71°20.6′ W. 

63 ............. 39°53.1′ N. 71°36.1′ W. 

64 ............. 39°52.6′ N. 71°40.35′ W. 

65 ............. 39°53.1′ N. 71°42.7′ W. 

66 ............. 39°46.95′ N. 71°49.0′ W. 

67 ............. 39°41.15′ N. 71°57.1′ W. 

68 ............. 39°35.45′ N. 72°02.0′ W. 

69 ............. 39°32.65′ N. 72°06.1′ W. 

70 ............. 39°29.75′ N. 72°09.8′ W. 

to 192 

(6) Restricted Gear Area IV. Restricted 

Gear Area IV is defined by straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated: 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

Inshore Boundary 

193 ........... 40°13.60′ N. 68°40.60′ W. 

194 ........... 40°11.60′ N. 68°53.00′ W. 

195 ........... 40°14.00′ N. 69°04.70′ W. 

196 ........... 40°14.30′ N. 69°05.80′ W. 

197 ........... 40°05.50′ N. 69°09.00′ W. 

198 ........... 39°57.30′ N. 69°25.10′ W. 

199 ........... 40°00.40′ N. 69°35.20′ W. 

200 ........... 40°01.70′ N. 69°35.40′ W. 

201 ........... 40°01.70′ N. 69°37.40′ W. 

202 ........... 40°00.50′ N. 69°38.80′ W. 

203 ........... 40°01.30′ N. 69°45.00′ W. 


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Point N. latitude W. longitude 

204 ........... 40°02.10′ N. 69°45.00′ W. 

205 ........... 40°07.60′ N. 70°04.50′ W. 

206 ........... 40°07.80′ N. 70°09.20′ W. 

to 119 

Offshore Boundary 

69 ............. 40°07.90′ N. 68°36.00′ W. 

70 ............. 40°07.20′ N. 68°38.40′ W. 

71 ............. 40°06.90′ N. 68°46.50′ W. 

72 ............. 40°08.70′ N. 68°49.60′ W. 

73 ............. 40°08.10′ N. 68°51.00′ W. 

74 ............. 40°05.70′ N. 68°52.40′ W. 

75 ............. 40°03.60′ N. 68°57.20′ W. 

76 ............. 40°03.65′ N. 69°00.00′ W. 

77 ............. 40°04.35′ N. 69°00.50′ W. 

78 ............. 40°05.20′ N. 69°00.50′ W. 

79 ............. 40°05.30′ N. 69°01.10′ W. 

80 ............. 40°08.90′ N. 69°01.75′ W. 

81 ............. 40°11.00′ N. 69°03.80′ W. 

82 ............. 40°11.60′ N. 69°05.40′ W. 

83 ............. 40°10.25′ N. 69°04.40′ W. 

84 ............. 40°09.75′ N. 69°04.15′ W. 

85 ............. 40°08.45′ N. 69°03.60′ W. 

86 ............. 40°05.65′ N. 69°03.55′ W. 

87 ............. 40°04.10′ N. 69°03.90′ W. 

88 ............. 40°02.65′ N. 69°05.60′ W. 

89 ............. 40°02.00′ N. 69°08.35′ W. 

90 ............. 40°02.65′ N. 69°11.15′ W. 

91 ............. 40°00.05′ N. 69°14.60′ W. 

92 ............. 39°57.8′ N. 69°20.35′ W. 

93 ............. 39°56.75′ N. 69°24.40′ W. 

94 ............. 39°56.50′ N. 69°26.35′ W. 

95 ............. 39°56.80′ N. 69°34.10′ W. 

96 ............. 39°57.85′ N. 69°35.05′ W. 

97 ............. 40°00.65′ N. 69°36.50′ W. 

98 ............. 40°00.90′ N. 69°37.30′ W. 

99 ............. 39°59.15′ N. 69°37.30′ W. 

100 ........... 39°58.80′ N. 69°38.45′ W. 

102 ........... 39°56.20′ N. 69°40.20′ W. 

103 ........... 39°55.75′ N. 69°41.40′ W. 

104 ........... 39°56.70′ N. 69°53.60′ W. 

105 ........... 39°57.55′ N. 69°54.05′ W. 

106 ........... 39°57.40′ N. 69°55.90′ W. 

107 ........... 39°56.90′ N. 69°57.45′ W. 

108 ........... 39°58.25′ N. 70°03.00′ W. 

110 ........... 39°59.20′ N. 70°04.90′ W. 

111 ........... 40°00.70′ N. 70°08.70′ W. 

112 ........... 40°03.75′ N. 70°10.15′ W. 

115 ........... 40°05.20′ N. 70°10.90′ W. 

116 ........... 40°02.45′ N. 70°14.1′ W. 

119 ........... 40°02.75′ N. 70°16.1′ W. 

to 206 

* * * * * 

§ 648.87 [Amended] 

■ 12. Amend § 648.87 by revising 

paragraphs paragraphs (c)(2)(i) and 

(c)(2)(ii)(B). 

* * * * * 

(c) * * * 

(2) * * * 

(i) Regulations that may not be 

exempted for sector participants. The 

Regional Administrator may not exempt 

participants in a sector from the 

following Federal fishing regulations: 

Specific times and areas within the NE 

multispecies year-round closure areas; 

permitting restrictions (e.g., vessel 

upgrades, etc.); gear restrictions 

designed to minimize habitat impacts 

(e.g., roller gear restrictions, etc.); 

reporting requirements; and AMs 

specified in § 648.90(a)(5)(i)(D). For the 

purposes of this paragraph (c)(2)(i), the 

DAS reporting requirements specified in 

§ 648.82, the SAP-specific reporting 

requirements specified in § 648.85, VMS 

requirements for Handgear A category 

permitted vessels as specified in 

§ 648.10, and the reporting requirements 

associated with a dockside monitoring 

program are not considered reporting 

requirements, and the Regional 

Administrator may exempt sector 

participants from these requirements as 

part of the approval of yearly operations 

plans. For the purpose of this paragraph 

(c)(2)(i), the Regional Administrator may 

not grant sector participants exemptions 

from the NE multispecies year-round 

closures areas defined as Habitat 

Management Areas as defined in 

§ 648.370; Closed Area I North and 

Closed Area II, as defined in 

§ 648.81(c)(3) and (c)(4), respectively, 

during the period February 16 through 

April 30; and the Western GOM Closure 

Area, as defined at § 648.81(a)(4), where 

it overlaps with GOM Cod Protection 

Closures I through III, as defined in 

§ 648.81(d)(4). This list may be modified 

through a framework adjustment, as 

specified in § 648.90. 

(ii) * * * 

(B) The GOM Cod Protection Closures 

IV and V specified in § 648.81(d)(4)(iv) 

and (v). 

§ 648.89 [Amended] 

■ 13. In § 648.89, revise paragraphs 

(e)(1)(i) and (ii) and remove and reserve 

paragraph (e)(2) to read as follows: 

* * * * * 

(e) Charter/party vessel restrictions on 

fishing in GOM closed areas. 

(1) GOM Closed Areas. 

(i) A vessel fishing under charter/ 

party regulations may not fish in the 

GOM closed areas specified in 

§ 648.81(a)(3), (a)(4), and (d)(4) during 

the time periods specified in those 

paragraphs, unless the vessel has on 

board a valid letter of authorization 

issued by the Regional Administrator 

pursuant to § 648.81(d)(5)(v) and 

paragraph (e)(3) of this section. The 

conditions and restrictions of the letter 

of authorization must be complied with 

for a minimum of 3 months if the vessel 

fishes or intends to fish in the GOM cod 

protection closures; or for the rest of the 

fishing year, beginning with the start of 

the participation period of the letter of 

authorization, if the vessel fishes or 

intends to fish in the year-round GOM 

closure areas. 

(ii) A vessel fishing under charter/ 

party regulations may not fish in the 

GOM Cod Spawning Protection Area 

specified at § 648.81(b)(3) during the 

time period specified in that paragraph, 

unless the vessel complies with the 

requirements specified at 

§ 648.81(b)(2)(iii). 

(2) Reserved. 

§ 648.202 [Amended] 

■ 14. Amend § 648.202 by revising 

paragraph (b)(1) to read as follows: 

* * * * * 

(b) Fishing in Northeast Multispecies 

Closed Areas. 

(1) No vessel issued an Atlantic 

herring permit and fishing with 

midwater trawl gear, may fish for, 

possess or land fish in or from the 

Closed Areas, including the Cashes 

Ledge Closure Area and the Western 

GOM Closure Area, as defined in 

§ 648.81(a)(3) and (a)(4), respectively, 

unless it has declared first its intent to 

fish in the Closed Areas as required by 

§ 648.11(m)(1), and is carrying onboard 

a NMFS-approved observer. 

* * * * * 

§ 648.203 [Amended] 

■ 15. Amend § 648.203 by revising 

paragraph (a) to read as follows: 

(a) Midwater trawl gear may only be 

used by a vessel issued a valid herring 

permit in the GOM/GB Exemption Area 

as defined in § 648.80(a)(17), provided it 

complies with the midwater trawl gear 

exemption requirements specified under 

the NE multispecies regulations at 

§ 648.80(d), including issuance of a 

Letter of Authorization. 

* * * * * 

■ 16. Add Subpart Q consisting of 

§§ 648.370 through 648.372 to read as 

follows: 

Subpart Q—Habitat-Related Management 

Measures 

648.370 Habitat Management Areas. 

648.371 Dedicated Habitat Research Areas. 

648.372 Frank R. Lautenberg Deep-Sea 

Coral Protection Areas. 

Subpart Q—Habitat-Related 

Management Measures 

§ 648.370 Habitat management areas. 

Unless otherwise specified, no fishing 

vessel or person on a fishing vessel may 

fish with bottom-tending mobile gear in 

the areas defined in this section. Copies 

of charts depicting these areas are 

available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request. 

(a) Eastern Maine Habitat 

Management Area. The Eastern Maine 

HMA is defined by straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated: 


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EASTERN MAINE HMA 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 44°02.5′ 68°06.1′ 

2 ............... 43°51.0′ 68°33.9′ 

3 * ............. 43°56.6′ 68°38.1′ 

4 * ............. 44°07.6′ 68°10.6′ 

* Landward boundary at state waters. Only 

endpoints provided. 

(b) Jeffreys Bank Habitat Management 

Area. The Jeffreys Bank HMA is defined 

by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated: 

JEFFREYS BANK HMA 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 43°31′ 68°37′ 

2 ............... 43°20′ 68°37′ 

3 ............... 43°20′ 68°55′ 

4 ............... 43°31′ 68°55′ 

(c) Cashes Ledge Habitat Management 

Area. The Cashes Ledge HMA is defined 

by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated: 

CASHES LEDGE HMA 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 43°01.0′ 69°00.0′ 

2 ............... 43°01.0′ 68°52.0′ 

3 ............... 42°45.0′ 68°52.0′ 

4 ............... 42°45.0′ 69°00.0′ 

(d) Fippennies Ledge Habitat 

Management Area. The Fippennies 

Ledge HMA is defined by straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated: 

FIPPENNIES LEDGE HMA 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 42°50.0′ 69°17.0′ 

2 ............... 42°44.0′ 69°14.0′ 

3 ............... 42°44.0′ 69°18.0′ 

4 ............... 42°50.0′ 69°21.0′ 

(e) Ammen Rock Habitat Management 

Area. (1) The Ammen Rock HMA is 

defined by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated: 

AMMEN ROCK HMA 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 42°55.5′ 68°57.0′ 

2 ............... 42°52.5′ 68°55.0′ 

3 ............... 42°52.5′ 68°57.0′ 

4 ............... 42°55.5′ 68°59.0′ 

(2) No fishing vessel, including 

private and for-hire recreational fishing 

vessels, may fish in the Ammen Rock 

HMA, except for vessels fishing 

exclusively with lobster traps, as 

defined in § 697.2. 

(f) Western Gulf of Maine Habitat 

Management Area. (1) The Western 

GOM HMA is defined by the straight 

lines connecting the following points in 

the order stated: 

WESTERN GULF OF MAINE HMA 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

WGM4 ...... 43°15′ 70°15′ 

WGM1 ...... 42°15′ 70°15′ 

WGM5 ...... 42°15′ 70°00′ 

WGM6 ...... 43°15′ 70°15′ 

(2) Western Gulf of Maine Shrimp 

Exemption Area. Vessels fishing with 

shrimp trawls under the Small Mesh 

Northern Shrimp Fishery Exemption 

specified at § 648.80(a)(5) may fish 

within the Western Gulf of Maine HMA 

Shrimp Exemption Area which is 

defined by the straight lines connecting 

the following points in the order stated: 

WESTERN GULF OF MAINE SHRIMP

EXEMPTION AREA

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 43°15′ 70° 

2 ............... 43°13′ 70° 

3 ............... 43°13′ 70°05′ 

4 ............... 43°09′ 70°05′ 

5 ............... 43°09′ 70°08′ 

6 ............... 42°55′ 70°08′ 

7 ............... 42°55′ 70°15′ 

8 ............... 43°15′ 70°15′ 

(h) Georges Shoal Habitat 

Management Area. (1) The Georges 

Shoal HMA is defined by the straight 

lines connecting the following points in 

the order stated: 

GEORGES SHOAL HMA 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 41°46′ 67°46′ 

2 ............... 41°39′ 67°40′ 

3 ............... 41°30′ 67°40′ 

4 ............... 41°30′ 68°10′ 

5 ............... 41°41′ 68°10′ 

(2) Hydraulic Clam Dredge 

Exemption. Surfclam and ocean quahog 

permitted vessels may fish with 

hydraulic clam dredges in the Georges 

Shoal HMA until [Insert date 1 year 

from the effective date of the final rule.]. 

(i) Northern Edge Habitat 

Management Area. The Northern Edge 

HMA is defined by the straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated: 

NORTHERN EDGE HMA 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 42°02′00′′ 67°02′14.205′′ 

2 ............... 41°50′00′′ 66°52′01.383′′ 

3 ............... 41°50′00′′ 67°20′00′′ 

4 ............... 42°02′00′′ 67°20′00′′ 

(j) Northern Edge Reduced Impact 

Habitat Management Area. (1) The 

Northern Edge Reduced Impact HMA is 

defined by the straight lines connecting 

the following points in the order stated: 

NORTHERN EDGE REDUCED IMPACT

HMA 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 42°10′00′′ 67°09′18′′ 

2 ............... 42°02′00′′ 67°02′14.205′′ 

3 ............... 42°02′00′′ 67°20′00′′ 

4 ............... 42°00′00′′ 67°20′00′′ 

5 ............... 42°00′00′′ 67°26′00′′ 

6 ............... 42°05′30′′ 67°26′00′′ 

(2) Scallop Dredge Exemption. 

Atlantic sea scallop permitted vessels 

may fish with scallop dredges in the 

Northern Edge Reduced Impact HMA as 

authorized under the sea scallop area 

rotation program as described in 

§ 648.59. 

(3) Eastern US/CA Haddock Special 

Access Program (SAP) Exemption. 

Vessels fishing under the Eastern 

US/CA Haddock special access program, 

as defined in § 648.85(b)(8), may use 

bottom trawls in the Northern Edge 

Reduced Impact HMA west of 67°20′ W. 

(k) Great South Channel Habitat 

Management Area. (1) The Great South 

Channel HMA is defined by the straight 

lines connecting the following points in 

the order stated: 

GREAT SOUTH CHANNEL HMA 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 41°30.3′ 69°31.0′ 

2 ............... 41°0.00′ 69°18.5′ 

3 ............... 40°51.7′ 69°18.5′ 

4 ............... 40°51.6′ 69°48.9′ 

5 ............... 41°30.2′ 69°49.3′ 

(2) Hydraulic Clam Dredge 

Exemption. (i) Except for the portion of 

the Great South Channel HMA defined 

in paragraph (iii) of this section, 

surfclam and ocean quahog permitted 

vessels may fish with hydraulic clam 

dredges in the Great South Channel 

HMA. 

(ii) The Hydraulic clam dredge 

exemption is effective until [Insert date 

1 year from effective date]. After which, 

no vessels fishing with hydraulic clam 

dredges may fish within the Great South 

Channel HMA. 


Pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS2
51514 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 213 / Monday, November 6, 2017 / Proposed Rules 

(iii) The hydraulic clam dredge 

exemption does not apply in the area 

defined as the straight lines connecting 

the following points in the order stated: 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

GSC 1 ...... 41°30.3′ 69°31.0′ 

MBTG 2 .... 41°21.0′ 69°27.2′ 

MBTG 3 .... 41°21.0′ 69°43.0′ 

MBTG 4 .... 41°30.0′ 69°43.0′ 

(l) Cox Ledge Habitat Management 

Areas. (1) Cox Ledge 1 Habitat 

Management Area. The Cox Ledge 1 

HMA is defined by the straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated: 

COX LEDGE HMA 1 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 41°05.0′ 71°03.0′ 

2 ............... 41°00.0′ 71°03.0′ 

3 ............... 41°00.0′ 71°14.0′ 

4 ............... 41°05.0′ 71°14.0′ 

(2) Cox Ledge 2 Habitat Management 

Area. The Cox Ledge 2 HMA is defined 

by the straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated: 

COX LEDGE HMA 2 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 41°12.0′ 70°55.0′ 

2 ............... 41°07.5′ 70°55.0′ 

3 ............... 40°07.5′ 71°01.0′ 

4 ............... 41°12.0′ 71°01.0′ 

(3) Gear restrictions. (i) No vessel may 

fish in the Cox Ledge HMAs with a 

hydraulic clam dredge. 

(ii) Vessels may fish in the Cox Ledge 

HMAs with bottom trawls, provided the 

gear is configured such that there are no 

ground cables and the bridle length is 

less than or equal to 30 fathoms per 

side. 

(m) Transiting. Unless otherwise 

restricted or specified in this paragraph 

(m), a vessel may transit the habitat 

management areas described in this 

section provided that its gear is stowed 

and not available for immediate use as 

defined in § 648.2. 

(n) Other Habitat Protection 

Measures. (1) The Inshore Gulf of 

Maine/Georges Bank Restricted Roller 

Gear Area described in § 648.80 

(a)(3)(vii) is considered a habitat 

protection measure and the restrictions 

outlined in that section apply to all 

bottom trawl gear. 

(o) Review of Habitat Management 

Measures. The New England Fishery 

Management Council will develop a 

strategic process to evaluate the 

boundaries, scope, characteristics, and 

timing of habitat and spawning 

protection areas to facilitate review of 

these areas at 10-year intervals. 

§ 648.371 Dedicated Habitat Research 

Areas. 

(a) Dedicated Habitat Research Area 

Topics. The areas defined in this section 

are intended to facilitate coordinated 

research on gear impacts, habitat 

recovery, natural disturbance, and 

productivity. 

(b) Stellwagen Dedicated Habitat 

Research Area. (1) The Stellwagen 

DHRA is defined by the straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated: 

STELLWAGEN DHRA 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

1 ............... 42°15.0′ 70°00.0′ 

2 ............... 42°15.0′ 70°15.0′ 

3 ............... 42°45.2′ 70°15.0′ 

4 ............... 42°46.0′ 70°13.0′ 

5 ............... 42°46.0′ 70°00.0′ 

(2) Vessels fishing with bottomtending mobile gear, sink gillnet gear, or 

demersal longline gear are prohibited 

from fishing in the Stellwagen DHRA, 

unless otherwise exempted. 

(c) Georges Bank Dedicated Habitat 

Research Area. (1) The Georges Bank 

DHRA is defined by straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated: 

GEORGES BANK DHRA 

Point N. latitude W. longitude 

CIH3 ......... 40°55′ 68°53′ 

CIH4 ......... 40°58′ 68°30′ 

CI3 ............ 40°45′ 68°30′ 

CI2 ............ 40°45′ 68°45′ 

(2) Vessels fishing with bottomtending mobile gear are prohibited from 

fishing in the Georges Bank DHRA, 

unless otherwise exempted. 

(d) Transiting. Unless otherwise 

restricted or specified in this paragraph 

(d), a vessel may transit the Dedicated 

Habitat Research Areas of this section 

provided that its gear is stowed and not 

available for immediate use as defined 

in § 648.2. 

(e) Dedicated Habitat Research Areas 

Review. (1) The Regional Administrator 

shall initiate a review of the DHRAs 

defined in this section three years after 

implementation. 

(2) After initiation of the review and 

consultation with the New England 

Fishery Management Council, the 

Regional Administrator may remove a 

DHRA. The following criteria will be 

used to determine if DHRA should be 

maintained: 

(i) Documentation of active and 

ongoing research in the DHRA area, in 

the form of data records, cruise reports 

or inventory samples with analytical 

objectives focused on the DHRA topics, 

described in paragraph (a) of this 

section; and 

(ii) Documentation of pending or 

approved proposals or funding requests 

(including ship time requests), with 

objectives specific to the DHRA topics, 

described in paragraph (a) of this 

section. 

(3) The Regional Administrator will 

make any such determination in 

accordance with the APA through 

notification in the Federal Register. 

§ 648.372 Frank R. Lautenberg Deep-Sea 

Coral Protection Area 

(a) No vessel may fish with bottomtending gear within the Frank R. 

Lautenberg Deep-Sea Coral Protection 

Area described in this section, unless 

transiting pursuant to paragraph (d) of 

this section, fishing lobster trap gear in 

accordance with § 697.21 of this 

chapter, or fishing red crab trap gear in 

accordance with § 648.264. Bottomtending gear includes but is not limited 

to bottom-tending otter trawls, bottomtending beam trawls, hydraulic dredges, 

non-hydraulic dredges, bottom-tending 

seines, bottom longlines, pots and traps, 

and sink or anchored gillnets. The Frank 

R. Lautenberg Deep-Sea Coral Protection 

Area consists of the Broad and Discrete 

Deep-Sea Coral Zones defined in 

paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section. 

(b) Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone. The 

Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone is bounded 

on the east by the outer limit of the U.S. 

Exclusive Economic Zone, and bounded 

on all other sides by straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated (copies of a chart depicting 

this area are available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request). An 

asterisk (*) in the Discrete Zone column 

means the point is shared with a 

Discrete Deep-Sea Coral Zone, as 

defined in paragraph (c) of this section. 


Pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS2
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 213 / Monday, November 6, 2017 / Proposed Rules 51515 

BROAD ZONE

Point Latitude Longitude Discrete zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 36°33.02′ N. 71°29.33′ W. 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 36°33.02′ N. 72°00′ W. 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 36°33.02′ N. 73°00′ W. 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 36°33.02′ N. 74°00′ W. 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 36°33.02′ N. 74°42.14′ W. 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 36°34.44′ N. 74°42.23′ W. 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 36°35.53′ N. 74°41.59′ W. 

8 .................................................................................................................................................. 36°37.69′ N. 74°41.51′ W. 

9 .................................................................................................................................................. 36°42.09′ N. 74°39.07′ W. 

10 ................................................................................................................................................ 36°45.18′ N. 74°38′ W. 

11 ................................................................................................................................................ 36°45.69′ N. 74°38.55′ W. 

12 ................................................................................................................................................ 36°49.17′ N. 74°38.31′ W. 

13 ................................................................................................................................................ 36°49.56′ N. 74°37.77′ W. 

14 ................................................................................................................................................ 36°51.21′ N. 74°37.81′ W. 

15 ................................................................................................................................................ 36°51.78′ N. 74°37.43′ W. 

16 ................................................................................................................................................ 36°58.51′ N. 74°36.51′ W. (*) 

17 ................................................................................................................................................ 36°58.62′ N. 74°36.97′ W. (*) 

18 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°4.43′ N. 74°41.03′ W. (*) 

19 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°5.83′ N. 74°45.57′ W. (*) 

20 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°6.97′ N. 74°40.8′ W. (*) 

21 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°4.52′ N. 74°37.77′ W. (*) 

22 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°4.02′ N. 74°33.83′ W. (*) 

23 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°4.52′ N. 74°33.51′ W. (*) 

24 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°4.4′ N. 74°33.11′ W. (*) 

25 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°7.38′ N. 74°31.95′ W. 

26 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°8.32′ N. 74°32.4′ W. 

27 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°8.51′ N. 74°31.38′ W. 

28 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°9.44′ N. 74°31.5′ W. 

29 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°16.83′ N. 74°28.58′ W. 

30 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°17.81′ N. 74°27.67′ W. 

31 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°18.72′ N. 74°28.22′ W. 

32 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°22.74′ N. 74°26.24′ W. (*) 

33 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°22.87′ N. 74°26.16′ W. (*) 

34 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°24.44′ N. 74°28.57′ W. (*) 

35 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°24.67′ N. 74°29.71′ W. (*) 

36 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°25.93′ N. 74°30.13′ W. (*) 

37 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°27.25′ N. 74°30.2′ W. (*) 

38 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°28.6′ N. 74°30.6′ W. (*) 

39 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°29.43′ N. 74°30.29′ W. (*) 

40 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°29.53′ N. 74°29.95′ W. (*) 

41 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°27.68′ N. 74°28.82′ W. (*) 

42 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°27.06′ N. 74°28.76′ W. (*) 

43 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°26.39′ N. 74°27.76′ W. (*) 

44 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°26.3′ N. 74°26.87′ W. (*) 

45 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°25.69′ N. 74°25.63′ W. (*) 

46 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°25.83′ N. 74°24.22′ W. (*) 

47 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°25.68′ N. 74°24.03′ W. (*) 

48 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°28.04′ N. 74°23.17′ W. 

49 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°27.72′ N. 74°22.34′ W. 

50 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°30.13′ N. 74°17.77′ W. 

51 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°33.83′ N. 74°17.47′ W. 

52 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°35.48′ N. 74°14.84′ W. 

53 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°36.99′ N. 74°14.01′ W. 

54 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°37.23′ N. 74°13.02′ W. 

55 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°42.85′ N. 74°9.97′ W. 

56 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°43.5′ N. 74°8.79′ W. 

57 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°45.22′ N. 74°9.2′ W. (*) 

58 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°45.15′ N. 74°7.24′ W. (*) 

59 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°45.88′ N. 74°7.44′ W. (*) 

60 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°46.7′ N. 74°5.98′ W. (*) 

61 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°49.62′ N. 74°6.03′ W. (*) 

62 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°51.25′ N. 74°5.48′ W. (*) 

63 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°51.99′ N. 74°4.51′ W. (*) 

64 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°51.37′ N. 74°3.3′ W. (*) 

65 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°50.63′ N. 74°2.69′ W. (*) 

66 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°49.62′ N. 74°2.28′ W. (*) 

67 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°50.28′ N. 74°0.67′ W. (*) 

68 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°53.68′ N. 73°57.41′ W. (*) 

69 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°55.07′ N. 73°57.27′ W. (*) 

70 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°3.29′ N. 73°49.1′ W. (*) 

71 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°6.19′ N. 73°51.59′ W. (*) 

72 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°7.67′ N. 73°52.19′ W. (*) 


Pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS2
51516 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 213 / Monday, November 6, 2017 / Proposed Rules 

BROAD ZONE—Continued 

Point Latitude Longitude Discrete zone 

73 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°9.04′ N. 73°52.39′ W. (*) 

74 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°10.1′ N. 73°52.32′ W. (*) 

75 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°11.98′ N. 73°52.65′ W. (*) 

76 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°13.74′ N. 73°50.73′ W. (*) 

77 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°13.15′ N. 73°49.77′ W. (*) 

78 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°10.92′ N. 73°50.37′ W. (*) 

79 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°10.2′ N. 73°49.63′ W. (*) 

80 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°9.26′ N. 73°49.68′ W. (*) 

81 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°8.38′ N. 73°49.51′ W. (*) 

82 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°7.59′ N. 73°47.91′ W. (*) 

83 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°6.96′ N. 73°47.25′ W. (*) 

84 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°6.51′ N. 73°46.99′ W. (*) 

85 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°5.69′ N. 73°45.56′ W. (*) 

86 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°6.35′ N. 73°44.8′ W. (*) 

87 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°7.5′ N. 73°45.2′ W. (*) 

88 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°9.24′ N. 73°42.61′ W. (*) 

89 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°9.41′ N. 73°41.63′ W. 

90 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°15.13′ N. 73°37.58′ W. 

91 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°15.25′ N. 73°36.2′ W. (*) 

92 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°16.19′ N. 73°36.91′ W. (*) 

93 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°16.89′ N. 73°36.66′ W. (*) 

94 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°16.91′ N. 73°36.35′ W. (*) 

95 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°17.63′ N. 73°35.35′ W. (*) 

96 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°18.55′ N. 73°34.44′ W. (*) 

97 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°18.38′ N. 73°33.4′ W. (*) 

98 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°19.04′ N. 73°33.02′ W. (*) 

99 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°25.08′ N. 73°34.99′ W. (*) 

100 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°26.32′ N. 73°33.44′ W. (*) 

101 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°29.72′ N. 73°30.65′ W. (*) 

102 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°28.65′ N. 73°29.37′ W. (*) 

103 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°25.53′ N. 73°30.94′ W. (*) 

104 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°25.26′ N. 73°29.97′ W. (*) 

105 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°23.75′ N. 73°30.16′ W. (*) 

106 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°23.47′ N. 73°29.7′ W. (*) 

107 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°22.76′ N. 73°29.34′ W. (*) 

108 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°22.5′ N. 73°27.63′ W. (*) 

109 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°21.59′ N. 73°26.87′ W. (*) 

110 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°23.07′ N. 73°24.11′ W. 

111 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°25.83′ N. 73°22.39′ W. 

112 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°25.97′ N. 73°21.43′ W. 

113 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°34.14′ N. 73°11.14′ W. (*) 

114 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°35.1′ N. 73°10.43′ W. (*) 

115 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°35.94′ N. 73°11.25′ W. (*) 

116 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°37.57′ N. 73°10.49′ W. (*) 

117 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°37.21′ N. 73°9.41′ W. (*) 

118 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°36.72′ N. 73°8.85′ W. (*) 

119 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°43′ N. 73°1.24′ W. (*) 

120 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°43.66′ N. 73°0.36′ W. (*) 

121 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°45′ N. 73°0.27′ W. (*) 

122 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°46.68′ N. 73°1.07′ W. (*) 

123 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°47.54′ N. 73°2.24′ W. (*) 

124 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°47.84′ N. 73°2.24′ W. (*) 

125 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°49.03′ N. 73°1.53′ W. (*) 

126 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°48.45′ N. 73°1′ W. (*) 

127 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°49.15′ N. 72°58.98′ W. (*) 

128 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°48.03′ N. 72°56.7′ W. (*) 

129 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°49.84′ N. 72°55.54′ W. (*) 

130 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°52.4′ N. 72°52.5′ W. (*) 

131 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°53.87′ N. 72°53.36′ W. (*) 

132 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°54.17′ N. 72°52.58′ W. (*) 

133 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°54.7′ N. 72°50.26′ W. (*) 

134 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°57.2′ N. 72°47.74′ W. (*) 

135 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°58.64′ N. 72°48.35′ W. (*) 

136 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°59.3′ N. 72°47.86′ W. (*) 

137 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°59.22′ N. 72°46.69′ W. (*) 

138 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°0.13′ N. 72°45.47′ W. (*) 

139 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°1.69′ N. 72°45.74′ W. (*) 

140 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°1.49′ N. 72°43.67′ W. (*) 

141 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°3.9′ N. 72°40.83′ W. (*) 

142 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°7.35′ N. 72°41.26′ W. (*) 

143 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°7.16′ N. 72°37.21′ W. (*) 

144 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°6.52′ N. 72°35.78′ W. (*) 


Pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS2
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 213 / Monday, November 6, 2017 / Proposed Rules 51517 

BROAD ZONE—Continued 

Point Latitude Longitude Discrete zone 

145 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°11.73′ N. 72°25.4′ W. (*) 

146 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°11.76′ N. 72°22.33′ W. 

147 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°19.08′ N. 72°9.56′ W. (*) 

148 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°25.17′ N. 72°13.03′ W. (*) 

149 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°28.8′ N. 72°17.39′ W. (*) 

150 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°30.16′ N. 72°20.41′ W. (*) 

151 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°31.38′ N. 72°23.86′ W. (*) 

152 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°32.55′ N. 72°25.07′ W. (*) 

153 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°34.57′ N. 72°25.18′ W. (*) 

154 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°34.53′ N. 72°24.23′ W. (*) 

155 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°33.17′ N. 72°24.1′ W. (*) 

156 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°32.07′ N. 72°22.77′ W. (*) 

157 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°32.17′ N. 72°22.08′ W. (*) 

158 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°30.3′ N. 72°15.71′ W. (*) 

159 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°29.49′ N. 72°14.3′ W. (*) 

160 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°29.44′ N. 72°13.24′ W. (*) 

161 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°27.63′ N. 72°5.87′ W. (*) 

162 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°28.26′ N. 72°2.2′ W. (*) 

163 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°29.88′ N. 72°3.51′ W. (*) 

164 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°30.57′ N. 72°3.47′ W. (*) 

165 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°31.28′ N. 72°2.63′ W. (*) 

166 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°31.46′ N. 72°1.41′ W. (*) 

167 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°37.15′ N. 71°55.85′ W. (*) 

168 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°39.77′ N. 71°53.7′ W. (*) 

169 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°41.5′ N. 71°51.89′ W. 

170 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°43.84′ N. 71°44.85′ W. (*) 

171 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°48.01′ N. 71°45.19′ W. (*) 

172 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°49.97′ N. 71°39.29′ W. (*) 

173 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°55.08′ N. 71°18.62′ W. (*) 

174 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°55.99′ N. 71°16.07′ W. (*) 

175 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°57.04′ N. 70°50.01′ W. 

176 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°55.07′ N. 70°32.42′ W. 

177 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°50.24′ N. 70°27.78′ W. 

178 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°42.18′ N. 70°20.09′ W. 

179 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°34.11′ N. 70°12.42′ W. 

180 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°26.04′ N. 70°4.78′ W. 

181 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°17.96′ N. 69°57.18′ W. 

182 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°9.87′ N. 69°49.6′ W. 

183 .............................................................................................................................................. 39°1.77′ N. 69°42.05′ W. 

184 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°53.66′ N. 69°34.53′ W. 

185 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°45.54′ N. 69°27.03′ W. 

186 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°37.42′ N. 69°19.57′ W. 

187 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°29.29′ N. 69°12.13′ W. 

188 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°21.15′ N. 69°4.73′ W. 

189 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°13′ N. 68°57.35′ W. 

190 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°4.84′ N. 68°49.99′ W. 

191 .............................................................................................................................................. 38°2.21′ N. 68°47.62′ W. 

(c) Discrete Deep-Sea Coral Zones. (1) 

Block Canyon. Block Canyon discrete 

deep-sea coral zone is defined by 

straight lines connecting the following 

points in the order stated (copies of a 

chart depicting this area are available 

from the Regional Administrator upon 

request). An asterisk (*) in the Broad 

Zone column means the point is shared 

with the Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone, as 

defined in paragraph (b) of this section. 

BLOCK CANYON

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°55.08′ N. 71°18.62′ W. (*) 

(2) ................................................................................................................................................ 39°55.99′ N. 71°16.07′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°49.51′ N. 71°12.12′ W. 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°38.09′ N. 71°9.5′ W. 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°37.4′ N. 71°11.87′ W. 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°47.26′ N. 71°17.38′ W. 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°52.6′ N. 71°17.51′ W. 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°55.08′ N. 71°18.62′ W. (*) 


Pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS2
51518 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 213 / Monday, November 6, 2017 / Proposed Rules 

(2) Ryan and McMaster Canyons. 

Ryan and McMaster Canyons discrete 

deep-sea coral zone is defined by 

straight lines connecting the following 

points in the order stated (copies of a 

chart depicting this area are available 

from the Regional Administrator upon 

request). An asterisk (*) in the Broad 

Zone column means the point is shared 

with the Broad Deep-sea Coral Zone, as 

defined in paragraph (b) of this section. 

RYAN AND MCMASTER CANYONS

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°43.84′ N. 71°44.85′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°48.01′ N. 71°45.19′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°49.97′ N. 71°39.29′ W. (*) 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°48.29′ N. 71°37.18′ W. 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°42.96′ N. 71°35.01′ W. 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°33.43′ N. 71°27.91′ W. 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°31.75′ N. 71°30.77′ W. 

8 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°34.46′ N. 71°35.68′ W. 

9 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°40.12′ N. 71°42.36′ W. 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°43.84′ N. 71°44.85′ W. (*) 

(3) Emery and Uchupi Canyons. 

Emery and Uchupi Canyons discrete 

deep-sea coral zone is defined by 

straight lines connecting the following 

points in the order stated (copies of a 

chart depicting this area are available 

from the Regional Administrator upon 

request). An asterisk (*) in the Broad 

Zone column means the point is shared 

with the Broad Deep-sea Coral Zone, as 

defined in paragraph (b) of this section. 

EMERY AND UCHUPI CANYONS

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°37.15′ N. 71°55.85′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°39.77′ N. 71°53.7′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°39.55′ N. 71°47.68′ W. 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°30.78′ N. 71°36.24′ W. 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°27.26′ N. 71°39.13′ W. 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°28.99′ N. 71°45.47′ W. 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°33.91′ N. 71°52.61′ W. 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°37.15′ N. 71°55.85′ W. (*) 

(4) Jones and Babylon Canyons. Jones 

and Babylon Canyons discrete deep-sea 

coral zone is defined by straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated (copies of a chart depicting 

this area are available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request). An 

asterisk (*) in the Broad Zone column 

means the point is shared with the 

Broad Deep-sea Coral Zone, as defined 

in paragraph (b) of this section. 

JONES AND BABYLON CANYONS

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°28.26′ N. 72°2.2′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°29.88′ N. 72°3.51′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°30.57′ N. 72°3.47′ W. (*) 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°31.28′ N. 72°2.63′ W. (*) 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°31.46′ N. 72°1.41′ W. (*) 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°30.37′ N. 71°57.72′ W. 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°30.63′ N. 71°55.13′ W. 

8 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°23.81′ N. 71°48.15′ W. 

9 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°23′ N. 71°52.48′ W. 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°28.26′ N. 72°2.2′ W. (*) 

(5) Hudson Canyon. Hudson Canyon 

discrete deep-sea coral zone is defined 

by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated 

(copies of a chart depicting this area are 

available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request). An 

asterisk (*) in the Broad Zone column 

means the point is shared with the 

Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone, as defined 

in paragraph (b) of this section. 

HUDSON CANYON

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°19.08′ N. 72°9.56′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°25.17′ N. 72°13.03′ W. (*) 


Pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS2
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 213 / Monday, November 6, 2017 / Proposed Rules 51519 

HUDSON CANYON—Continued 

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°28.8′ N. 72°17.39′ W. (*) 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°30.16′ N. 72°20.41′ W. (*) 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°31.38′ N. 72°23.86′ W. (*) 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°32.55′ N. 72°25.07′ W. (*) 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°34.57′ N. 72°25.18′ W. (*) 

8 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°34.53′ N. 72°24.23′ W. (*) 

9 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°33.17′ N. 72°24.1′ W. (*) 

10 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°32.07′ N. 72°22.77′ W. (*) 

11 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°32.17′ N. 72°22.08′ W. (*) 

12 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°30.3′ N. 72°15.71′ W. (*) 

13 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°29.49′ N. 72°14.3′ W. (*) 

14 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°29.44′ N. 72°13.24′ W. (*) 

15 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°27.63′ N. 72°5.87′ W. (*) 

16 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°13.93′ N. 71°48.44′ W. 

17 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°10.39′ N. 71°52.98′ W. 

18 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°14.27′ N. 72°3.09′ W. 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 39°19.08′ N. 72°9.56′ W. (*) 

(6) Mey-Lindenkohl Slope. MeyLindenkohl Slope discrete deep-sea 

coral zone is defined by straight lines 

connecting the following points in the 

order stated (copies of a chart depicting 

this area are available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request). An 

asterisk (*) in the Broad Zone column 

means the point is shared with the 

Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone, as defined 

in paragraph (b) of this section. 

MEY-LINDENKOHL SLOPE

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°43′ N. 73°1.24′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°43.66′ N. 73°0.36′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°45′ N. 73°0.27′ W. (*) 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°46.68′ N. 73°1.07′ W. (*) 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°47.54′ N. 73°2.24′ W. (*) 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°47.84′ N. 73°2.24′ W. (*) 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°49.03′ N. 73°1.53′ W. (*) 

8 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°48.45′ N. 73°1′ W. (*) 

9 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°49.15′ N. 72°58.98′ W. (*) 

10 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°48.03′ N. 72°56.7′ W. (*) 

11 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°49.84′ N. 72°55.54′ W. (*) 

12 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°52.4′ N. 72°52.5′ W. (*) 

13 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°53.87′ N. 72°53.36′ W. (*) 

14 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°54.17′ N. 72°52.58′ W. (*) 

15 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°54.7′ N. 72°50.26′ W. (*) 

16 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°57.2′ N. 72°47.74′ W. (*) 

17 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°58.64′ N. 72°48.35′ W. (*) 

18 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°59.3′ N. 72°47.86′ W. (*) 

19 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°59.22′ N. 72°46.69′ W. (*) 

20 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°0.13′ N. 72°45.47′ W. (*) 

21 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°1.69′ N. 72°45.74′ W. (*) 

22 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°1.49′ N. 72°43.67′ W. (*) 

23 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°3.9′ N. 72°40.83′ W. (*) 

24 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°7.35′ N. 72°41.26′ W. (*) 

25 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°7.16′ N. 72°37.21′ W. (*) 

26 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°6.52′ N. 72°35.78′ W. (*) 

27 ................................................................................................................................................ 39°11.73′ N. 72°25.4′ W. (*) 

28 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°58.85′ N. 72°11.78′ W. 

29 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°32.39′ N. 72°47.69′ W. 

30 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°34.88′ N. 72°53.78′ W. 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°43′ N. 73°1.24′ W. (*) 

(7) Spencer Canyon. Spencer Canyon 

discrete deep-sea coral zone is defined 

by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated 

(copies of a chart depicting this area are 

available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request). An 

asterisk (*) in the Broad Zone column 

means the point is shared with the 

Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone, as defined 

in paragraph (b) of this section. 


Pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS2
51520 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 213 / Monday, November 6, 2017 / Proposed Rules 

SPENCER CANYON

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°34.14′ N. 73°11.14′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°35.1′ N. 73°10.43′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°35.94′ N. 73°11.25′ W. (*) 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°37.57′ N. 73°10.49′ W. (*) 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°37.21′ N. 73°9.41′ W. (*) 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°36.72′ N. 73°8.85′ W. (*) 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°36.59′ N. 73°8.25′ W. 

8 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°28.94′ N. 72°58.96′ W. 

9 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°26.45′ N. 73°3.24′ W. 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°34.14′ N. 73°11.14′ W. (*) 

(8) Wilmington Canyon. Wilmington 

Canyon discrete deep-sea coral zone is 

defined by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated 

(copies of a chart depicting this area are 

available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request). An 

asterisk (*) in the Broad Zone column 

means the point is shared with the 

Broad Deep-sea Coral Zone, as defined 

in paragraph (b) of this section. 

WILMINGTON CANYON

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°19.04′ N. 73°33.02′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°25.08′ N. 73°34.99′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°26.32′ N. 73°33.44′ W. (*) 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°29.72′ N. 73°30.65′ W. (*) 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°28.65′ N. 73°29.37′ W. (*) 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°25.53′ N. 73°30.94′ W. (*) 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°25.26′ N. 73°29.97′ W. (*) 

8 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°23.75′ N. 73°30.16′ W. (*) 

9 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°23.47′ N. 73°29.7′ W. (*) 

10 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°22.76′ N. 73°29.34′ W. (*) 

11 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°22.5′ N. 73°27.63′ W. (*) 

12 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°21.59′ N. 73°26.87′ W. (*) 

13 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°18.52′ N. 73°22.95′ W. (*) 

14 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°14.41′ N. 73°16.64′ W. (*) 

15 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°13.23′ N. 73°17.32′ W. (*) 

16 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°15.79′ N. 73°26.38′ W. (*) 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°19.04′ N. 73°33.02′ W. (*) 

(9) North Heyes and South 

Wilmington Canyons. North Heyes and 

South Wilmington Canyons discrete 

deep-sea coral zone is defined by 

straight lines connecting the following 

points in the order stated (copies of a 

chart depicting this area are available 

from the Regional Administrator upon 

request). An asterisk (*) in the Broad 

Zone column means the point is shared 

with the Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone, as 

defined in paragraph (b) of this section. 

NORTH HEYES AND SOUTH WILMINGTON CANYONS

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°15.25′ N. 73°36.2′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°16.19′ N. 73°36.91′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°16.89′ N. 73°36.66′ W. (*) 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°16.91′ N. 73°36.35′ W. (*) 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°17.63′ N. 73°35.35′ W. (*) 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°18.55′ N. 73°34.44′ W. (*) 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°18.38′ N. 73°33.4′ W. (*) 

8 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°19.04′ N. 73°33.02′ W. (*) 

9 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°15.79′ N. 73°26.38′ W. (*) 

10 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°14.98′ N. 73°24.73′ W. (*) 

11 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°12.32′ N. 73°21.22′ W. (*) 

12 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°11.06′ N. 73°22.21′ W. (*) 

13 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°11.13′ N. 73°28.72′ W. (*) 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°15.25′ N. 73°36.2′ W. (*) 

(10) South Vries Canyon. South Vries 

Canyon discrete deep-sea coral zone is 

defined by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated 

(copies of a chart depicting this area are 

available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request). An 

asterisk (*) in the Broad Zone column 

means the point is shared with the 


Pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS2
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 213 / Monday, November 6, 2017 / Proposed Rules 51521 

Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone, as defined 

in paragraph (b) of this section. 

SOUTH VRIES CANYON

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°6.35′ N. 73°44.8′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°7.5′ N. 73°45.2′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°9.24′ N. 73°42.61′ W. (*) 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°3.22′ N. 73°29.22′ W. 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°2.38′ N. 73°29.78′ W. 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°2.54′ N. 73°36.73′ W. 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°6.35′ N. 73°44.8′ W. (*) 

(11) Baltimore Canyon. Baltimore 

Canyon discrete deep-sea coral zone is 

defined by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated 

(copies of a chart depicting this area are 

available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request). An 

asterisk (*) in the Broad Zone column 

means the point is shared with the 

Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone, as defined 

in paragraph (b) of this section. 

BALTIMORE CANYON

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°3.29′ N. 73°49.1′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°6.19′ N. 73°51.59′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°7.67′ N. 73°52.19′ W. (*) 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°9.04′ N. 73°52.39′ W. (*) 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°10.1′ N. 73°52.32′ W. (*) 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°11.98′ N. 73°52.65′ W. (*) 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°13.74′ N. 73°50.73′ W. (*) 

8 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°13.15′ N. 73°49.77′ W. (*) 

9 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°10.92′ N. 73°50.37′ W. (*) 

10 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°10.2′ N. 73°49.63′ W. (*) 

11 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°9.26′ N. 73°49.68′ W. (*) 

12 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°8.38′ N. 73°49.51′ W. (*) 

13 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°7.59′ N. 73°47.91′ W. (*) 

14 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°6.96′ N. 73°47.25′ W. (*) 

15 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°6.51′ N. 73°46.99′ W. (*) 

16 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°5.69′ N. 73°45.56′ W. (*) 

17 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°6.35′ N. 73°44.8′ W. (*) 

18 ................................................................................................................................................ 38°2.54′ N. 73°36.73′ W. 

19 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°59.19′ N. 73°40.67′ W. 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°3.29′ N. 73°49.1′ W. (*) 

(12) Warr and Phoenix Canyon 

Complex. Warr and Phoenix Canyon 

Complex discrete deep-sea coral zone is 

defined by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated 

(copies of a chart depicting this area are 

available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request). An 

asterisk (*) in the Broad Zone column 

means the point is shared with the 

Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone, as defined 

in paragraph (b) of this section. 

WARR AND PHOENIX CANYON COMPLEX

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°53.68′ N. 73°57.41′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°55.07′ N. 73°57.27′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 38°3.29′ N. 73°49.1′ W. (*) 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°59.19′ N. 73°40.67′ W. 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°52.5′ N. 73°35.28′ W. 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°50.92′ N. 73°36.59′ W. 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°49.84′ N. 73°47.11′ W. 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°53.68′ N. 73°57.41′ W. (*) 

(13) Accomac and Leonard Canyons. 

Accomac and Leonard Canyons discrete 

deep-sea coral zone is defined by 

straight lines connecting the following 

points in the order stated (copies of a 

chart depicting this area are available 

from the Regional Administrator upon 

request). An asterisk (*) in the Broad 

Zone column means the point is shared 

with the Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone, as 

defined in paragraph (b) of this section. 


Pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS2
51522 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 213 / Monday, November 6, 2017 / Proposed Rules 

ACCOMAC AND LEONARD CANYONS

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°45.15′ N. 74°7.24′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°45.88′ N. 74°7.44′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°46.7′ N. 74°5.98′ W. (*) 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°49.62′ N. 74°6.03′ W. (*) 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°51.25′ N. 74°5.48′ W. (*) 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°51.99′ N. 74°4.51′ W. (*) 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°51.37′ N. 74°3.3′ W. (*) 

8 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°50.63′ N. 74°2.69′ W. (*) 

9 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°49.62′ N. 74°2.28′ W. (*) 

10 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°50.28′ N. 74°0.67′ W. (*) 

11 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°50.2′ N. 74°0.17′ W. 

12 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°50.52′ N. 73°58.59′ W. 

13 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°50.99′ N. 73°57.17′ W. 

14 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°50.4′ N. 73°52.35′ W. 

15 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°42.76′ N. 73°44.86′ W. 

16 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°39.96′ N. 73°48.32′ W. 

17 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°40.04′ N. 73°58.25′ W. 

18 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°44.14′ N. 74°6.96′ W. 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°45.15′ N. 74°7.24′ W. (*) 

(14) Washington Canyon. Washington 

Canyon discrete deep-sea coral zone is 

defined by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated 

(copies of a chart depicting this area are 

available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request). An 

asterisk (*) in the Broad Zone column 

means the point is shared with the 

Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone, as defined 

in paragraph (b) of this section. 

WASHINGTON CANYON

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°22.74′ N. 74°26.24′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°22.87′ N. 74°26.16′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°24.44′ N. 74°28.57′ W. (*) 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°24.67′ N. 74°29.71′ W. (*) 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°25.93′ N. 74°30.13′ W. (*) 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°27.25′ N. 74°30.2′ W. (*) 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°28.6′ N. 74°30.6′ W. (*) 

8 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°29.43′ N. 74°30.29′ W. (*) 

9 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°29.53′ N. 74°29.95′ W. (*) 

10 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°27.68′ N. 74°28.82′ W. (*) 

11 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°27.06′ N. 74°28.76′ W. (*) 

12 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°26.39′ N. 74°27.76′ W. (*) 

13 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°26.3′ N. 74°26.87′ W. (*) 

14 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°25.69′ N. 74°25.63′ W. (*) 

15 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°25.83′ N. 74°24.22′ W. (*) 

16 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°25.68′ N. 74°24.03′ W. (*) 

17 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°25.08′ N. 74°23.29′ W. 

18 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°16.81′ N. 73°52.13′ W. 

19 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°11.27′ N. 73°54.05′ W. 

20 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°15.73′ N. 74°12.2′ W. 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°22.74′ N. 74°26.24′ W. (*) 

(15) Norfolk Canyon. Norfolk Canyon 

discrete deep-sea coral zone is defined 

by straight lines connecting the 

following points in the order stated 

(copies of a chart depicting this area are 

available from the Regional 

Administrator upon request). An 

asterisk (*) in the Broad Zone column 

means the point is shared with the 

Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone, as defined 

in paragraph (b) of this section. 

NORFOLK CANYON

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 36°58.51′ N. 74°36.51′ W. (*) 

2 .................................................................................................................................................. 36°58.62′ N. 74°36.97′ W. (*) 

3 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°4.43′ N. 74°41.03′ W. (*) 

4 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°5.83′ N. 74°45.57′ W. (*) 

5 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°6.97′ N. 74°40.8′ W. (*) 

6 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°4.52′ N. 74°37.77′ W. (*) 

7 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°4.02′ N. 74°33.83′ W. (*) 


Pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS2
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 213 / Monday, November 6, 2017 / Proposed Rules 51523 

NORFOLK CANYON—Continued 

Point Latitude Longitude Broad zone 

8 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°4.52′ N. 74°33.51′ W. (*) 

9 .................................................................................................................................................. 37°4.40′ N. 74°33.11′ W. (*) 

10 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°4.16′ N. 74°32.37′ W. 

11 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°4.40′ N. 74°30.58′ W. 

12 ................................................................................................................................................ 37°3.65′ N. 74°3.66′ W. 

13 ................................................................................................................................................ 36°57.75′ N. 74°3.61′ W. 

14 ................................................................................................................................................ 36°59.77′ N. 74°30′ W. 

15 ................................................................................................................................................ 36°58.23′ N. 74°32.95′ W. 

16 ................................................................................................................................................ 36°57.99′ N. 74°34.18′ W. 

1 .................................................................................................................................................. 36°58.51′ N. 74°36.51′ W. (*) 

(d) Transiting. Vessels may transit the 

Broad and Discrete Deep-Sea Coral 

Zones defined in paragraphs (b) and (c) 

of this section, provided bottom-tending 

trawl nets are out of the water and 

stowed on the reel and any other fishing 

gear that is prohibited in these areas is 

onboard, out of the water, and not 

deployed. Fishing gear is not required to 

meet the definition of ‘‘not available for 

immediate use’’ in § 648.2, when a 

vessel transits the Broad and Discrete 

Deep-Sea Coral Zones. 

[FR Doc. 2017–23752 Filed 11–3–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


Pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS2