NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) has determined that the quota for the tilefish Fulltime Tier 1 permit category has been exceeded for fishing year (FY) 2005, requiring an adjustment of the Fulltime Tier 1 permit category quota for FY 2006. This action complies with the Fishery Management Plan

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Framework Adjustment 43 (Framework 43) to the NE Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which was developed by the New England Fishery Management Council (Council). Framework 43 proposes measures to address the incidental catch of NE multispecies by vessels fishing for Atlantic herring. The proposed

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that 95 percent of the Atlantic herring total allowable catch (TAC) allocated to Management Area 1A (Area 1A) for 2006 is projected to be harvested by October 21, 2006. Therefore, effective 0001 hours, October 21, 2006, federally permitted vessels may not fish for, catch, possess, transfer or land more than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the percentage of the tilefish annual total allowable landings (TAL) available to the Parttime permit category for the 2006 fishing year has been harvested. Commercial vessels fishing under the Parttime tilefish category may not harvest tilefish from within the Golden Tilefish Management Unit for the remainder of the 2006

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes regulations to implement measures in FW 42 to the NE Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and FW 3 to the Monkfish FMP (Joint Framework). FW 42, which was developed by the New England Fishery Management Council (Council), is a biennial adjustment to the NE Multispecies FMP that would implement a rebuilding program for Georges

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is transferring 300,000 lb (136,078 kg) of commercial bluefish quota to the State of North Carolina from its 2006 quota and that the State of Maine is transferring 52,000 lb (23,587 kg) of commercial bluefish quota to the State of North Carolina. By this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes measures contained in Framework Adjustment 6 (Framework 6) to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) that would allow regional conservation equivalency in the summer flounder recreational fishery. The intent is to provide flexibility and efficiency to the management of the summer flounder

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (Amendment 1), incorporating the draft Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS), Regulatory Impact Review (RIR), and the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA), for

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the percentage of the tilefish annual total allowable landings (TAL) available to the Parttime permit category for the 2007 fishing year has been harvested. Commercial vessels fishing under the Parttime tilefish category may not harvest tilefish from within the Golden Tilefish Management Unit for the remainder of the 2007

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces the implementation of Framework Adjustment 1 (Framework 1) to the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which will allow the specification of commercial quotas and other management measures for up to 5 years. This framework adjustment is intended to improve management of the Northeast Atlantic stock of Spiny Dogfish.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast (NE) Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is modifying the gear restrictions for the U.S./Canada Management Area to require all limited access NE multispecies vessels fishing on a NE multispecies dayatsea (DAS) with trawl gear in the Eastern U.S./Canada Area to use a haddock separator trawl. A

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes specifications for the 2007 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries. The implementing regulations for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) require NMFS to publish specifications for the upcoming fishing year for each of the species and to provide an opportunity for public comment.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes recreational management measures for the 2006 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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces consideration of proposed rulemaking to control future access to the Atlantic hagfish fishery. The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) has indicated that limiting access to the hagfish fishery may be necessary to control participation in the fishery at a level that reduces capitalization and constrains fishing to

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Atlantic bluefish commercial quota available to Rhode Island has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the Atlantic bluefish fishery may not land bluefish in Rhode Island for the remainder of calendar year 2006, unless additional quota becomes available through a transfer. Regulations

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring 5,871 lb (2,663 kg) of commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Virginia from its 2006 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

NMFS proposes a change to the annual total allowable landings (TAL) for the tilefish fishery. The MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) met in May 2006 and recommended an increase in the TAL from 905 mt to 987 mt. This recommendation is, in part, a result of positive findings from the 2005 tilefish stock assessment that concluded that

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast (NE) Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is implementing a yellowtail flounder trip limit of 1,500 lb (680.4 kg) per day, up to a maximum of 15,000 lb (6,804.1 kg) per trip, for NE multispecies DaysatSea (DAS) vessels fishing in both the Western and Eastern U.S./Canada Areas. This action is

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is implementing an observer service provider program for the Atlantic sea scallop (scallop) fishery including criteria for becoming an approved observer service provider, observer certification criteria, decertification criteria, and observer deployment logistics. Through this emergency rule, NMFS is reactivating the industryfunded observer

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS implements this final rule to clarify the expiration date of the limited entry program for Illex squid, reestablish a minimum mesh requirement for the butterfish fishery, and remove a regulatory requirement for annual specifications to be published by a specific date. These measures were initially implemented by the final rule implementing

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast (NE) Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is removing the Georges Bank (GB) yellowtail flounder trip limit for NE multispecies daysatsea (DAS) vessels fishing in the U.S./Canada Management Area. This action is authorized by the regulations implementing Amendment 13 to the NE Multispecies Fishery

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The final rule implementing the specifications for the 2005 fishing year for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish (MSB) clarified the expiration date of the limited entry program for Illex squid, established a minimum mesh requirement for the butterfish fishery, and removed a regulatory requirement for annual specifications to be published by

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that 95 percent of the Atlantic herring total allowable catch (TAC) allocated to Management Area 1B (Area 1B) for fishing year 2006 is projected to be harvested by December 8, 2006. Therefore, effective 0001 hours, December 8, 2006, federally permitted vessels may not fish for, catch, possess, transfer or land more than 2,000 lb

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes specifications for the spiny dogfish fishery for the 2006 through 2008 fishing years (May 1, 2006, through April 30, 2009). The implementing regulations for the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) require NMFS to publish specifications for up to a period of 5 years and to provide an opportunity for public comment. The intent

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces the closure of the Closed Area II Scallop Access Area (CAII) to scallop vessels until February 28, 2007. This closure, effective 0001 hours on September 6, 2006, is based on a determination by the Regional Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (RA), that scallop vessels are projected to catch the yellowtail flounder (YT) bycatch

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration