The Federal Register

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 2008 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Quota Specifications and Effort Controls

Mon, Dec 31 2007 11:00:00 GMT

NMFS announces the final rule to set 2008 fishing year specifications for the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) fishery, including quotas for each of the established domestic fishing categories and effort controls for the General category and Angling category. This action is necessary to implement recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), as required by the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA), and to achieve domestic [[Page 74194]]
management objectives under the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MagnusonStevens Act).

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States;

Mon, Dec 31 2007 11:00:00 GMT

This action extends a temporary final rule initially published on October 18, 2005. The regulations contained in the temporary rule, emergency action, published on October 18, 2005, and subsequently extended several times at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will expire on January 1, 2008. This temporary rule extends a closure of Federal waters through December 31, 2008. The FDA has determined that current oceanographic conditions and alga sampling data suggest that the northern section of the Temporary Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) Closure Area remain closed to the harvest of bivalve molluscan shellfish and that the southern area remain closed to the harvest of whole or roeon scallops. NMFS is publishing the regulatory text associated with this closure in this temporary emergency rule in order to ensure that current regulations accurately reflect the codified text that has been modified and extended numerous times, so that the public is aware of the regulations b

Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries; 2008 Summer

Mon, Dec 31 2007 11:00:00 GMT

NMFS issues final specifications for the 2008 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries. This final rule specifies allowed harvest limits for both commercial and recreational fisheries, including commercial scup possession limits. This action prohibits federally permitted commercial vessels from landing summer flounder in Delaware in 2008 due to continued quota repayment from previous years' overages.

The actions of this final rule are necessary to comply with regulations implementing the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP), as well as to ensure compliance with the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson Stevens Act).

The intent of this action is to establish harvest levels and other management measures to ensure that target fishing mortality rates (F) or exploitation rates, as specified for these species in the FMP, are not exceeded. In addition, this action implements measures that ensure continued rebuilding of th

Pacific Halibut Fisheries; Guided Sport Charter Vessel Fishery for Halibut

Mon, Dec 31 2007 11:00:00 GMT

NMFS proposes regulations that would limit the harvest of Pacific halibut by guided sport charter vessel anglers in International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) Area 2C of Southeast Alaska to the guideline harvest level (GHL) for that area under two different scenarios. First, if the GHL remains unchanged in 2008, a suite of three management measures are proposed to be added to an existing two halibut daily catch and size limit. These management measures include a prohibition on the harvest of halibut by charter vessel guides, operators, and crew; a limit on the number of fishing lines that may be used on a charter vessel of six or the number of charter vessel anglers onboard, whichever is less; and an annual catch limit of four halibut per charter vessel angler. Second, if the GHL decreases in 2008, then a onehalibut daily catch limit is proposed to be substituted for the existing twohalibut daily catch limit. The prohibition of halibut harvest by charter vessel guides, operators, and crew,

Marine Mammals; File No. 10091

Mon, Dec 31 2007 11:00:00 GMT

Notice is hereby given that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 1255 West 8\th\ Street, Juneau, AK, 99811 (Doug Larsen, Responsible Party), has applied in due form for a permit to collect, receive, and import marine mammal specimens for scientific research.