Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/05/01/2012-10459/atlantic-highly-migratory-species-north-and-south-atlantic-swordfish-quotas-and-management-measures
Timestamp: 2015-08-04 01:24:54
Document Index: 409758580

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 635', '§ 635', '§ 635', '§ 635', '§ 635', '§ 635', '§ 635', '§ 635']

Federal Register | Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; North and South Atlantic Swordfish Quotas and Management Measures
Dates: Written comments must be received by 5 p.m., local time, on June 5, 2012.
-25677 (9 pages)
Document Number: 2012-10459
Shorter URL: https://federalregister.gov/a/2012-10459 Related Topics
ICCAT North Atlantic Swordfish Quota Implementation Back to Top
Swordfish Minimum Size Measures Back to Top
Administrative Changes Back to Top
This proposed rule also makes several modifications to the regulatory text for clarification or management purposes. The current regulatory language found in § 635.27 (c)(2)(i) explicitly authorizes the inseason transfer of North Atlantic swordfish quota among the directed, incidental, and reserve categories. This rule proposes to allow NMFS to transfer quota from the directed category to the incidental or reserve quota categories as well. In this action, NMFS also analyzes the impacts of scientific research and exempted fishing permits on Atlantic swordfish and considers using quota in the reserve category to account for fishery-independent research landings. Therefore, the North Atlantic swordfish reserve category description is simplified and the annual reserve category allocation is explicitly stated to be 50 mt dw in § 635.27(c)(1)(i)(D). Additionally, the regulatory language is modified so that ICCAT-negotiated quota transfers will be removed from the North Atlantic swordfish baseline quota rather than the reserve category.
2012 North and South Atlantic Swordfish Specifications Back to Top
At the 2011 ICCAT meeting, Recommendation 11-02 was adopted, maintaining the North Atlantic swordfish total allowable catch (TAC) of 13,700 metric tons (mt) whole weight (ww) (10,301 mt dressed weight (dw)) through 2013. Of this TAC, the United States baseline quota is 2,937.6 mt dw (3,907.0 mt ww) per year. ICCAT Recommendation 11-02 also includes a new 112.8 mt dw annual quota transfer to Morocco and limits the underharvest carryover to 25 percent of the baseline quotas. Therefore, the United States may carry over a maximum of 734.4 mt dw of underharvests from the previous year (2011) to be added to the 2012 baseline quota. This proposed rule would adjust the U.S. baseline quota for the 2012 fishing year to account for the annual quota transfer to Morocco and the 2011 underharvest. The 2012 North Atlantic swordfish baseline quota is 2,937.6 mt dw. The preliminary North Atlantic swordfish underharvest for 2011 was 2,750.1 mt dw, which exceeds the maximum carryover cap of 734.4 mt dw. Therefore, NMFS is proposing to carry forward the maximum amount allowed per ICCAT Recommendation 11-02. The baseline quota reduced by the 112.8 mt dw annual quota transfer to Morocco and increased by the underharvest carryover maximum of 734.4 mt dw equals 3,559.2 mt dw, which is the proposed adjusted quota for the 2012 fishing year. From that proposed adjusted quota, the directed category would be allocated 3,209.2 mt dw and would be split equally into two seasons in 2012 (January through June, and July through December). The reserve category would be allocated 50 mt dw for inseason adjustments and research, and 300 mt dw would be allocated to the incidental category, which includes recreational landings and catch by incidental swordfish permit holders for the 2012 fishing season, per § 635.27(c)(1)(i)(B) (Table 1). These landings are based on preliminary data. As late reports are received and the data undergo quality control processes, some data may change. Any changes will be described in the final rule, as appropriate.
Table 1—2012 North and South Atlantic Swordfish Quotas Back to Top
+Underharvest is capped at 25 percent of the baseline quota allocation for the North Atlantic and 75.2 dw (100 mt ww) for the South Atlantic.
* Under 09-03, 100 mt ww of the U.S. underharvest and base quota, as necessary, was transferred to Namibia (37.6 mt dw, 50 mt ww), Cote d'Ivore (18.8 mt dw, 25 mt ww), and Belize (18.8 mt dw, 25 mt ww).
Quota Transfer to Morocco
(−)112.8
International Quota Transfers *
(−)75.2
Conference line: 888-957-9840, Passcode: 3094714.
Broward County Main Library, 100 S. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.
NMFS Science Center, 1301 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Stafford Branch Library, 129 N. Main Street, Manahawkin, NJ 08050.
2. In § 635.2, revise the definitions for “LJFL” and “Naturally attached” to read as follows:
§ 635.2 Definitions.
3. In § 635.20, paragraph (f)(2) is revised to read as follows:
§ 635.20 Size limits.
4. In § 635.27, paragraphs (c)(1)(i)(A), (c)(1)(i)(D), (c)(2)(ii), and (c)(3)(ii) are revised to read as follows: