The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a 2day Council meeting on March 19 and 20, 2002, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes quotas for the Atlantic surfclam, ocean quahog, and Maine mahogany ocean quahog fisheries for 2003. Regulations implementing the Fishery Management Plan for Surf Clams and Ocean Quahog Fisheries require NMFS to propose for public comment specifications for the 2003 fishing year. The intent of this action is to propose allowable

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues final quotas for the Atlantic surf clam, ocean quahog, and Maine mahogany ocean quahog fisheries for 2002. These quotas specify allowable harvest levels of Atlantic surf clams and ocean quahogs from the exclusive economic zone and an allowable harvest level of Maine mahogany ocean quahogs from the waters north of 43 deg. 50'N. lat. in

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the summer flounder commercial quota available to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in Massachusetts for the remainder of calendar year 2002, unless additional quota becomes available through a

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is suspending the haddock daily trip limit for the groundfish fishery. The Regional Administrator has projected that less than 75 percent of the haddock target total allowable catch (TAC) will be harvested for the 2002 fishing year under the restrictive daily

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that commercial quota is available to allow the directed fishery for Loligo squid to reopen. Vessels issued a Federal moratorium permit to harvest Loligo squid in excess of the incidental catch allowance may resume landing of Loligo squid effective 0001 hours, December 2, 2002, through 0001 hours, December 12, 2002. The intent of

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the directed fishery for Loligo squid in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) will be closed effective May 28, 2002. Vessels issued a Federal permit to harvest Loligo squid may not retain or land more than 2,500 lb (1.13 mt) of Loligo squid per trip for the remainder of the quarter. This action is necessary to prevent the fishery

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

On March 4, 2002, NMFS published a notification announcing that the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a 2day Council meeting on March 19 and 20, 2002, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This document republishes the March 4th document in its entirety and

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the annual quota for the Maine mahogany quahog fishery has been harvested. Commercial vessels operating under a Maine mahogany quahog permit may not harvest Maine mahogany quahogs from the Maine mahogany quahog zone for the remainder of the fishing year (through December 31, 2002). Regulations governing the Maine mahogany

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that, effective 0001 hours (l.t.), January 18, 2002, through May 14, 2002, notwithstanding any other regulations implemented for the Atlantic deepsea red crab fishery, vessels may not fish for, possess, or land red crab in or from the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from 35 deg.15.3' N.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils (Councils) are currently developing Amendment 2 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), pursuant to the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, as amended. Among management measures, the FMP implemented a limited access system which restricts

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a 3day Council meeting on July 23 through 25, 2002, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the summer flounder commercial quota available to the State of Connecticut has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in Connecticut for the remainder of calendar year 2002,
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unless additional quota becomes available through

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes measures contained in Framework Adjustment 2 (Framework 2) to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This action would extend the limited entry program for the Illex squid fishery for an additional year; modify the Loligo squid overfishing definition and control rule; allow for the rollover of the

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes 2002 specifications for the Atlantic bluefish fishery, including total allowable landings (TAL), statebystate commercial quotas, and recreational harvest limits and possession limits for Atlantic bluefish off the East Coast of the United States. The intent of the specifications is to conserve and manage the bluefish resource and

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA Fisheries announces that it will continue the 2002 quota specifications for the golden tilefish fishery for the 2003 fishing year. Accordingly, the total allowable landings (TAL) for the 2003 fishing year will remain at 1.995 million lb (905,172 kg). The intent of this action is to notify the public that there will be no change in the fishery

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

On December 28, 2001, NMFS published a Federal Register notification announcing that the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a 3day Council meeting on January 15 through 17, 2002, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone. This notification serves as an addendum to that notification

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues final quotas for the Atlantic surfclam, ocean quahog, and Maine mahogany ocean quahog fisheries for 2003. These regulations specify allowable harvest levels of Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs from the exclusive economic zone and an allowable harvest level of Maine mahogany ocean quahogs from the waters north of 43[deg] 50' N. lat.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that it is considering, and is seeking public comment on, proposed rulemaking to control future access to the Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) resource if a management regime is developed and implemented under the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MagnusonStevens Act) that limits the number of participants

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes a regulatory amendment that would revise the monkfish daysatsea (DAS) regulations found at 50 CFR part 648 in order to provide vessels possessing limited access Category C or D monkfish permits the opportunity to fish their full allocation of up to 40 monkfish DAS, regardless of the amount of Northeast (NE) multispecies DAS available

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes recreational measures for the 2002 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries. The implementing regulations for these fisheries require NMFS to publish recreational measures for the upcoming fishing year and to provide an opportunity for public comment. The intent of these measures is to prevent overfishing of the summer

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes specifications for the spiny dogfish fishery for the 2002 fishing year, which is May 1, 2002, through April 30, 2003. The implementing regulations for the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) require NMFS to publish specifications for the upcoming fishing year and to provide an opportunity for public comment. The intent is to

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia and the States of Florida and Rhode Island have transferred 100,000 lb (45,372 kg), 200,000 lb (90,744 kg), and 125,000 lb (56,689 kg), respectively, of their 2002 adjusted commercial quotas to New York. The revised quotas for the calendar year 2002 following the transfer are: Virginia, 1,095,283 lb

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina has transferred 43,000 lb (19,504.5 kg) of its 2002 commercial quota to the State of Maryland; and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has transferred 150,000 lb (68,038.9 kg) of its 2002 commercial quota to the State of New York. The revised quotas for the calendar year 2002 following the transfer

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the period 1 spiny dogfish commercial quota available to the coastal states from Maine through Florida has been harvested. Federally permitted commercial vessels may no longer land spiny dogfish for the duration of period 1 (through October 31, 2002). Regulations governing the spiny dogfish fishery require publication of this

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration