NMFS announces that the 2007 summer flounder commercial quota allocated to the State of New Jersey has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in New Jersey for the remainder of calendar year 2007, unless additional quota becomes available through a transfer

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Elephant Trunk Scallop Access Area (ETAA) will close to general category scallop vessels until it reopens on March 1, 2008. This action is based on the determination that 865 general category scallop trips into the ETAA are projected to be taken as of 0001 hr local time, March 15, 2007. This action is being taken to prevent

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area (CAI) will close to general category scallop vessels for the remainder of the 2007 scallop fishing year. This action is based on the determination that 216 general category scallop trips into CAI are projected to be taken as of 0001 hr local time, July 15, 2007. This action is being taken

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes 2008 specifications and management measures for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish (MSB). This action also proposes to modify existing management measures. Specifically, it would clarify gear requirements for the Loligo squid fishery, standardize procedures for closing the Atlantic mackerel (mackerel) and butterfish fisheries,

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Amendment 13 to the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (Amendment 13) authorized allocation of up to 20 percent of the annual Georges Bank (GB) cod total allowable catch (TAC) to the GB Cod Hook Sector (Sector). Pursuant to that authorization, the Sector has submitted an Operations Plan and Sector Contract entitled,

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces the closure of the scup commercial coastwide fishery from Maine through North Carolina for the Summer Period. Regulations governing the scup fishery require publication of this notification to advise the coastal states from Maine through North Carolina that this quota has been harvested and to advise Federal vessel permit holders

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues final specifications for the 2007 Atlantic bluefish fishery, including statebystate commercial quotas, a recreational harvest limit, and recreational possession limits for Atlantic bluefish off the east coast of the United States. The intent of these specifications is to establish the allowable 2007 harvest levels and possession limits

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This action extends interim measures that were implemented by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on December 22, 2006, to reduce the potential for overfishing the Atlantic sea scallop (scallop) resource and causing excessive scallop mortality resulting from deck loading by reducing the number of limited access and general category

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes to amend the regulations governing minimum performance standards of fishing gear proposed for use in both the NE multispecies Regular B DAS Program and the Eastern U.S./Canada Haddock SAP. Under the current regulations, the only fishing gear allowed for use in the Eastern U.S./Canada Haddock SAP and the only trawl gear allowed for

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast (NE) Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is increasing the Georges Bank (GB) yellowtail flounder trip limit to 7,500 lb (3,402 kg) 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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes recreational management measures for the 2007 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 is implementing Amendment 14 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) developed by the MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). The measures of Amendment 14 include a plan to rebuild the scup stock from an overfished condition to the level associated with maximum sustainable yield, as required by

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces a decrease in the Georges Bank (GB) yellowtail flounder trip limit to 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) for NE multispecies daysat sea (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 Management Plan and is intended to prevent

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS extends for 4 days the comment period on the proposed rule to implement the Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM) Omnibus Amendment (SBRM Amendment) to the Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) of the Northeast Region, developed by the MidAtlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils (Councils).

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This action implements 2007 specifications and management measures for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish (MSB) and modifies existing management measures. Specifically, it implements trimester quota allocations for the Loligo squid fishery and establishes the protocol for an inseason adjustment to increase the mackerel harvest, if landings

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues this final rule to implement recreational management measures for the 2007 summer flounder fishery and to notify the public that the recreational management measures for the scup and black sea bass fisheries remain the same as in 2006. The actions of this final rule are necessary to comply with regulations implementing the Summer

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Framework Adjustment 20 (Framework 20) to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which was developed by the New England Fishery Management Council (Council). Framework 20 would maintain in effect the interim measures that were enacted by NMFS on June 21, 2007, to reduce the potential for

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 11 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (Amendment 11), incorporating the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) and the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA), for review by the Secretary of Commerce.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring 69,558 lb (31,551 kg) of commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Virginia from its 2007 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 adjusts the 2007 Winter II commercial scup quota and possession limit. This action complies with Framework Adjustment 3 (Framework 3) to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, which established a process to allow the rollover of unused commercial scup quota from the Winter I period to the Winter II period.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 14 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) developed by the MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). The proposed measures include a plan to rebuild the scup stock from an overfished condition to the level associated with maximum sustainable yield, as

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes coastwide summer flounder recreational management measures to administratively complete the rulemaking process initiated in March 2007. This action is necessary to propose appropriate coastwide management measures to be in place on January 1, 2008, following the expiration of the current statebystate conservation equivalency

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

On January 30, 2007, NMFS published a final rule implementing 2007 specifications and management measures for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish (MSB) and modifying existing management measures. The preamble to the final rule contains Table 1 announcing the specifications for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fisheries for the 2007

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration