NMFS announces final specifications for the 2007-2009 fishing years for the Atlantic herring (herring) fishery. The intent of this final rule is to conserve and manage the herring resource and provide for a sustainable fishery.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS implements this final rule pursuant to its authority to issue emergency measures under the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MagnusonStevens Act). This emergency action implements measures intended to reduce immediately discards of Georges Bank (GB) and Gulf of Maine (GOM) haddock to prevent excessive waste and comply

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes regulations to implement measures in Amendment 11 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Amendment 11 was developed by the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) to control the capacity of the open access general category fleet. Amendment 11 would establish a new management program for the general

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces approval of an Operations Plan and Sector Contract for the Georges Bank (GB) Cod Fixed Gear Sector (Fixed Gear Sector) entitled: ``GB Cod Fixed Gear Sector Operations Plan and Agreement'' (together referred to as the Sector Operations Plan), and the associated allocation of GB cod for fishing year (FY) 2007. The intent of this

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that effective 0001 hours, October 25, 2007, federally permitted vessels may not fish for, catch, possess, transfer or land more than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of Atlantic herring in or from Management Area 1A (Area 1A) per trip or calendar day until January 1, 2008, when the 2008 TAC becomes available, except for transiting purposes as

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Framework Adjustment 1 (FW 1) to the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan (FMP). FW 1 management measures were developed by the MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and propose to implement a vessel monitoring system (VMS) requirement for vessels participating in the surfclam

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces a temporary closure of the Eastern U.S./Canada Area to limited access NE multispecies daysatsea (DAS) vessels. Based upon Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) reports and other available information, the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) has projected that 100 percent of the total allowable catch (TAC) of

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the spiny dogfish commercial quota available to the coastal states from Maine through Florida for the semiannual quota period, November 1, 2007 April 30, 2008, has been harvested. Therefore, effective 0001 hours, November 16, 2007, federally permitted commercial vessels may not fish for, possess, transfer, or land spiny

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 25,000 lb (11,340 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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the spiny dogfish commercial quota available to the coastal states from Maine through Florida for the semiannual quota period, May 1, 2007 October 31, 2007, has been harvested. Therefore, effective 0001 hours, August 14, 2007, federally permitted commercial vessels may not fish for, possess, transfer, or land spiny dogfish

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues this final rule to approve and implement measures contained in Framework Adjustment 20 (Framework 20) to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This action maintains the trip [[Page 72627]]
allocations and possession limits established by the interim measures that were enacted by NMFS on June 21, 2007, for the Elephant

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes specifications for the 2007-2009 Atlantic herring fishery. The intent of the specifications is to conserve and manage the Atlantic herring resource and provide for a sustainable fishery.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This final rule implements the Georges Bank (GB) Cod Hook Sector Fishing Year (FY) 2007 Operations Plan and Agreement, approved by the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator). Amendment 13 to the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (Amendment 13) authorized allocation of up to 20 percent of the annual

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces a temporary reopening of the Eastern U.S./ Canada Area, including the Eastern U.S./Canada Haddock Special Access Program (SAP), to limited access NE multispecies daysatsea (DAS) vessels through November 30, 2007. This action also implements a 1,000 lb (454kg) trip limit for Georges Bank (GB) cod for all limited access NE multispecies

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast (NE) Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is eliminating the haddock separator trawl requirement, which was temporarily implemented on June 19, 2006, for all limited access NE multispecies vessels fishing with trawl gear on a NE multispecies dayatsea (DAS), and is reducing from 10,000 lb (4,536

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This action extends a temporary final rule published on October 18, 2005. The regulations contained in the temporary rule, emergency action, published on October 18, 2005, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and that were subsequently extended on December 28, 2005, June 30, 2006, and again on January 1, 2007, expire on

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Through this final rule, NMFS is implementing coastwide summer flounder recreational management measures to complete the rulemaking process initiated in March 2007. This action is necessary to implement appropriate coastwide management measures to be in place on January 1, 2008, following the expiration of the current statebystate conservation

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 14 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (Amendment 14), incorporating the draft Environmental Assessment (EA), preliminary Regulatory Impact Review (RIR), and the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the 2007 summer flounder commercial quota allocated 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 2007, unless additional quota becomes available

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS amends 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. The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) may request the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) approve additional gear

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is transferring 20,000 lb (9,072 kg) of commercial bluefish quota to the State of Rhode Island 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

The following Total Allowable Catches (TACs) in the United States (U.S.)/Canada Management Area are implemented for the 2007 fishing year (FY): 494 mt of Georges Bank (GB) cod, 6,270 mt of GB haddock, and 900 mt of yellowtail flounder. This action is intended to meet the conservation and management requirements of the Magnuson Stevens Fishery

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is transferring 150,000 lb (68,039 kg) of commercial bluefish quota to the State of New York 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 restores 18,142 lb (8.23 mt) of unused research set-aside (RSA) to the 2007 black sea bass TAL and 151,235 lb (68.60 mt) of unused RSA to the Loligo squid IOY, and makes corresponding adjustments to the 2007 black sea bass commercial quota, the 2007 black sea bass recreational harvest limit, and the 2007 Loligo squid commercial Trimester II

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration