The Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), has projected that the total allowable catch (TAC) for Georges Bank (GB) cod allocated for harvest from the Eastern U.S./ Canada Area will be fully harvested prior to the end of the fishing year if the rate of GB cod harvest remains at the current level. In response, this action

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS extends for 10 days the public comment period on the proposed rule to implement the management measures contained in Amendment 2 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), as published on January 14, 2005. NMFS also corrects the description of the qualification years for the proposed modification to the monkfish limited access program

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that it has approved the request of the Commonwealth of Virginia to transfer 68,214 lb (30,941 kg) of commercial summer flounder quota to the States of Maine, Connecticut, New York, Delaware, and Maryland, and the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, in accordance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Addendum XV to

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes specifications for the spiny dogfish fishery for the 2005 fishing year, which is May 1, 2005, through April 30, 2006. 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 of this

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that 1,000 Regular DaysatSea (DAS) have been used under the Regular B DAS Pilot Program. Therefore, all Northeast (NE) multispecies DAS vessels are prohibited from using Regular B DAS under the Regular B DAS Pilot Program through the end of the current calendar quarter on October 31, 2005. The intended effect of this action is to

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

On January 3, 2005, NMFS published a notification that the New England Fishery Management Council and the MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council have submitted Amendment 2 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (Amendment 2) incorporating the draft Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS), Regulatory Impact Review (RIR),

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is promulgating this temporary rule to continue the effectiveness of emergency regulations that established an incidental haddock catch allowance for the Atlantic herring fishery. Emergency action was initially
[[Page 72935]]
requested by the New England Fishery Management Council (Council). Measures that were implemented June 12, 2005, are

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues this final rule to implement recreational management measures for the 2005 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries. The intent of these measures is to prevent overfishing of the summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass resources.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Framework Adjustment 41 (FW 41) to the NE Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). FW 41 management measures were developed by the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) to expand participation in the existing Closed Area (CA) I Hook Gear Haddock Special Access Program (SAP) to all Northeast (NE)

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Oversight Committee in March, 2005. Recommendations from the committee will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes quotas for the ocean quahog fishery for 2006 and 2007. Specifications for the Atlantic surfclam and Maine ocean quahog fishery, which remain unchanged from the multiyear quota
specifications, are reprinted here
[[Page 65875]]
for clarity. Regulations governing these fisheries require NMFS to publish the proposed specifications for the

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes recreational measures for the 2005 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 regulations to implement Framework Adjustment 1 to the Atlantic DeepSea Red Crab (Red Crab) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This proposed rule would modify the existing annual review and specification process to allow specifications to be set for up to a 3 year timeframe. The proposed action would allocate for fishing year (FY) 2006

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes regulations to implement measures in Amendment 2 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) developed jointly by the New England and MidAtlantic Fishery Management Councils (Councils). Amendment 2 was developed to address essential fish habitat (EFH) and bycatch issues, and to revise the FMP to address several issues raised during

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Virginia from its 2005 quota. By this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

At the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), NMFS closed portions of Federal waters of the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and southern New England from June 14, 2005, through September 30, 2005, to the harvest for human consumption of certain bivalve molluscan shellfish due to the presence in those waters of the toxin that causes

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), has projected that 100 percent of the quarterly incidental total allowable catch (TAC) of Georges Bank (GB) cod specified to be harvested under the Regular B DaysatSea (DAS) Pilot Program will be harvested by July 18, 2005. Therefore, the use of Regular B DAS

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes measures to modify the existing reporting and record keeping regulations for federally permitted seafood dealers participating in the summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, Atlantic sea scallop, Northeast (NE) multispecies, monkfish, Atlantic mackerel, squid, butterfish, Atlantic surfclam, ocean quahog, Atlantic herring, Atlantic

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 0001 hours, April 25, 2005. Vessels issued a Federal permit to harvest Loligo squid may not retain or land more than 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) of Loligo squid per trip for the remainder of the quarter (through June 30, 2005). This

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 0001hrs local time, December 18, 2005. 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 year (through December 31,

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS published a temporary rule in the Federal Register on August 2, 2005, to adjust the 2005 Winter II commercial scup quota and possession limit. NMFS has since received information that a substantial amount of scup landed during the 2005 Winter I period were misreported as porgies via the Electronic Dealer Reporting System. This action corrects

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS published in the Federal Register of January 4, 2005, a final rule containing final specifications for the 2005 and 2006 summer flounder fisheries and for the 2005 scup and black sea bass fisheries. Inadvertently, Table 4 of the final rule contained an incorrect Winter I period scup possession limit. This document corrects that error.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes regulations to implement measures in FW 40B to the NE Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). FW 40B was developed by the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) to modify existing effort control programs implemented under Amendment 13 to the FMP to improve the effectiveness of these programs and to create additional

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces the closure of the Closed Area I (CAI) Scallop Access Area for general category scallop vessels for the remainder of the 2005 fishing year (through February 28, 2006). This closure is based on a determination by the Northeast Regional Administrator (RA) that general category scallop vessels will have made all of the 162 allowed

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The final rule implementing Amendment 13 and the interim final rule implementing Framework Adjustment (Framework) 40A to the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) contained several inadvertent errors and omissions. The intent of this proposed rule is to correct these inadvertent errors and omissions, clarify specific

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration