Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Vermilion Snapper Rebuilding Plan, 9028-9029 [05-3579]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 36 / Thursday, February 24, 2005 / Proposed Rules
Dated: February 1, 2005.
Robert W. Varney,
Regional Administrator, Region 1.
[FR Doc. 05–3452 Filed 2–23–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[I.D. 021705A]
RIN 0648–AS19
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish
Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico;
Vermilion Snapper Rebuilding Plan
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of
Amendment 23 to the Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) for Reef Fish
Resources of the Gulf of Mexico
(Amendment 23); request for comments.
AGENCY:
NMFS announces the
availability of Amendment 23 prepared
by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council (Council) that
would establish a 10–year rebuilding
plan for vermilion snapper in the
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the
Gulf of Mexico. The rebuilding plan
seeks to achieve a 25.5–percent
reduction in harvest based on the 2003
predicted landings. Measures to
accomplish this reduction equitably for
the commercial and recreational sectors
of this fishery include increases in
minimum size, a decreased recreational
bag limit, and a closed commercial
season. Amendment 23 would also
establish biological reference points and
stock status determination criteria for
vermilion snapper (i.e., maximum
sustainable yield (MSY), optimum yield
(OY), maximum fishing mortality
threshold (MFMT), and minimum stock
size threshold (MSST), consistent with
the requirements of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens
Act). The intended effect of these
measures is to end overfishing and
rebuild the vermilion snapper resource
consistent with the requirements of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act.
DATES: Written comments must be
received no later than 5 p.m., eastern
time, April 25, 2005.
SUMMARY:
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18:21 Feb 23, 2005
Jkt 205001
You may submit comments
on Amendment 23 by any of the
following methods:
• E-mail: 0648–AS19NOA@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line the following
document identifier: 0648–AS19.
• Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http:/
/www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Peter Hood, Southeast
Regional Office, NMFS, 9721 Executive
Center Drive N., St. Petersburg, FL
33702.
• Fax: 727–570–5583, Attention:
Peter Hood.
Copies of Amendment 23, which
includes a Regulatory Impact Review,
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analyses,
and a Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement, may be obtained from
the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council, The Commons at Rivergate,
3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite
1000, Tampa, FL 33619–2266;
telephone: 813–228–2815; fax: 813–
225–7015; e-mail:
gulfcouncil@gulfcouncil.org. Copies of
Amendment 23 can also be downloaded
from the Council’s website at
www.gulfcouncil.org.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Peter Hood, telephone: 727–570–5305;
fax: 727–570–5583; e-mail:
peter.hood@noaa.gov.
The reef
fish fishery in the EEZ of the Gulf of
Mexico is managed under the FMP. The
FMP was prepared by the Council under
the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens
Act by regulations at 50 CFR part 622.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In October 2003, NMFS declared the
Gulf of Mexico stock of vermilion
snapper to be overfished and
undergoing overfishing. This
determination was based in part on the
results of a 2001 NMFS vermilion stock
assessment and review by the Council’s
Reef Fish Stock Assessment Panel that
found the stock to be undergoing
overfishing. Subsequently, NMFS
reexamined the assessment, as well as
more recent data that ultimately
supported the findings of the
assessment, and declared the Gulf of
Mexico vermilion snapper stock
overfished. Therefore, measures to end
overfishing and a rebuilding plan to
restore the stock to the biomass needed
to allow harvest at maximum
sustainable yield (BMSY) in 10 years or
less are necessary.
Amendment 23 contains measures for
vermilion snapper designed to end
overfishing and initiate implementation
of the rebuilding plan that allocates the
necessary restrictions fairly and
PO 00000
Frm 00029
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
equitably between the recreational and
commercial sectors of the fishery,
consistent with the requirements of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Rebuilding Plan
Amendment 23 would establish a 10–
year vermilion snapper rebuilding plan,
structured in one 4–year interval
followed by two 3 year intervals, that
would end overfishing and rebuild the
stock to BMSY. In Amendment 23, the
rebuilding plan begins in 2004 and
continues through 2013. However, due
to the time required to complete
supporting documentation,
implementation of this amendment will
not occur until 2005. Therefore, the
rebuilding plan has been moved forward
one year and will begin in 2005. The
intervals are intended to provide shortterm stability for the management and
operation of the fishery, correlate more
closely with the timing of future stock
assessments, and provide a more
reasonable time period for assessing the
impacts of prior management actions.
The appropriate parameters for each
time interval, consistent with the overall
objectives of the rebuilding plan, would
be determined based upon the most
recent stock assessment.
Initial (2005–2008) Implementation of
the Rebuilding Plan
Based on the results of the 2001
vermilion snapper stock assessment and
updated indices of abundance, the
allowable harvest for the first 4–year
interval starting in 2005 is 1.475 million
lb (0.664 million kg). This equates to a
25.5–percent reduction in harvest based
on the 2003 predicted landings.
Measures to accomplish this reduction
are:
(1) a minimum size limit for
recreationally caught vermilion snapper
of 11 inches (27.9 cm) total length (TL);
(2) a bag limit of 10 fish within the
20–reef fish aggregate bag limit. The
increase in the size limit, from 10 inches
(25.4 cm) TL to 11 inches (27.9 cm) TL,
and the further restriction of the bag
limit would achieve approximately a
21.5–percent reduction relative to the
predicted 2003 harvest;
(3) a minimum size limit for
commercially caught vermilion snapper
of 11 inches (27.9 cm) TL; and
(4) a closed commercial season from
April 22 through May 31 each year. This
would achieve a 26.3–percent harvest
reduction from the estimated 2003
landings.
The reduction in harvest achieved by
these measures is slightly more than the
target 25.5 percent needed by the
rebuilding plan. Increasing harvest by
the commercial sector is believed to
E:\FR\FM\24FEP1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 36 / Thursday, February 24, 2005 / Proposed Rules
have contributed the most to the
overfishing and overfished conditions
that must be addressed by this
amendment. Therefore, the Council
decided more of the socioeconomic cost
of rebuilding the fishery should be
placed on the commercial sector.
Because the commercial sector lands the
majority of vermilion snapper (79
percent of the harvest between 1996 and
2002), the harvest reduction of 26.3
percent obtained by these measures was
deemed appropriate.
In addition, Amendment 23 would
establish biological reference points and
stock status determination criteria for
vermilion snapper (MSY, OY, MFMT,
and MSST), consistent with the
requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens
Act.
Additional Review Procedures
A proposed rule that would
implement measures outlined in the
amendment has been prepared. In
accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens
Act, NMFS is evaluating the proposed
rule to determine whether it is
consistent with Amendment 23, the
FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and
other applicable law. If that
determination is affirmative, NMFS will
publish the proposed rule in the Federal
Register for public review and
comment.
Comments received by April 25, 2005,
whether specifically directed to the
FMP or the proposed rule, will be
considered by NMFS in its decision to
approve, disapprove, or partially
approve Amendment 23. Comments
received after that date will not be
considered by NMFS in this decision.
All comments received by NMFS on
Amendment 23 or the proposed rule
during their respective comment
periods will be addressed in the final
rule.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 18, 2005.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05–3579 Filed 2–23–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:21 Feb 23, 2005
Jkt 205001
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 041229366–4366–01; I.D.
122304D]
RIN 0648–AQ25
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
Provisions; Fisheries of the
Northeastern United States; Monkfish
Fishery; Amendment 2
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of
public comment period and correction.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: 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 that
was incorrectly described in the
preamble to the January 14, 2005,
proposed rule. NMFS also clarifies the
description of the proposed possession
limit for the Offshore Fishery Program
in the Southern Fishery Management
Area (SFMA) provided in the preamble
of the Amendment 2 proposed rule to be
per monkfish day-at-sea (DAS).
DATES: The comment period on the
proposed rule will be reopened from
February 24, 2005, through March 7,
2005.
Written comments on the
proposed rule may be submitted by any
of the following methods:
• E-mail: E-mail comments may be
submitted to mnkamnd2@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line the following
‘‘Comments on the Proposed Rule for
Monkfish Amendment 2.’’
• Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http:/
/www.regulations.gov.
• Mail: Comments submitted by mail
should be sent to Patricia A. Kurkul,
Regional Administrator, Northeast
Region, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930–2298. Mark the
outside of the envelope ‘‘Comments on
the Proposed Rule for Monkfish
Amendment 2.’’
• Facsimile (fax): Comments
submitted by fax should be faxed to
(978) 281–9135.
ADDRESSES:
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9029
Written comments regarding the
burden-hour estimates or other aspects
of the collection-of-information
requirements contained in the proposed
rule should be submitted to the Regional
Administrator at the address above and
by e-mail to
DavidlRostker@omb.eop.gov, or fax to
(202) 395–7285.
Copies of Amendment 2, its
Regulatory Impact Review (RIR),
including the Initial Regulatory
Flexibility Analysis (IRFA), and the
Final Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement (FSEIS) are available
on request from Paul J. Howard,
Executive Director, New England
Fishery Management Council, 50 Water
Street, Newburyport, MA 01950. These
documents are also available online at
https://www.nefmc.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Allison R. Ferreira, Fishery Policy
Analyst, (978) 281–9103; fax (978) 281–
9135; e-mail allison.ferreira@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On January 14, 2005 (70 FR 2586),
NMFS published a proposed rule in the
Federal Register that would implement
the management measures contained in
Amendment 2, if approved. The New
England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Councils developed
Amendment 2 to address a number of
issues that arose out of the
implementation of the original FMP, as
well as issues that were identified
during public scoping. One of the issues
that arose out of the implementation of
the original FMP was unattainable
permit qualification criteria for vessels
in the southern end of the range of the
fishery. To address this issue,
Amendment 2 proposes a modification
to the limited access permit
qualification criteria. The qualification
criteria referenced in the regulatory text
of the January 14, 2005, proposed rule
correctly stated that the qualification
years under this modified limited access
program would be 1995 through 1998.
However, the preamble to the proposed
rule incorrectly listed the qualification
years as 1994 through 1998. Therefore,
NMFS corrects the qualification years
referenced in the preamble of the
proposed rule published on January 14,
2005 (70 FR 2586), to read as follows:
’’... during the qualification period
March 15 through June 15, for the years
1995 through 1998. ...’’
NMFS is also clarifying the proposed
possession limit for vessels participating
in the Offshore Fishery Program in the
SFMA described on page 2587 of the
preamble for the January 14, 2005,
E:\FR\FM\24FEP1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 36 (Thursday, February 24, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9028-9029]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-3579]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[I.D. 021705A]
RIN 0648-AS19
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Vermilion Snapper Rebuilding
Plan
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of Amendment 23 to the Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) for Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico
(Amendment 23); request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of Amendment 23 prepared by
the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) that would
establish a 10-year rebuilding plan for vermilion snapper in the
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico. The rebuilding
plan seeks to achieve a 25.5-percent reduction in harvest based on the
2003 predicted landings. Measures to accomplish this reduction
equitably for the commercial and recreational sectors of this fishery
include increases in minimum size, a decreased recreational bag limit,
and a closed commercial season. Amendment 23 would also establish
biological reference points and stock status determination criteria for
vermilion snapper (i.e., maximum sustainable yield (MSY), optimum yield
(OY), maximum fishing mortality threshold (MFMT), and minimum stock
size threshold (MSST), consistent with the requirements of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act). The intended effect of these measures is to end
overfishing and rebuild the vermilion snapper resource consistent with
the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
DATES: Written comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., eastern
time, April 25, 2005.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on Amendment 23 by any of the
following methods:
E-mail: 0648-AS19NOA@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line
the following document identifier: 0648-AS19.
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Peter Hood, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 9721
Executive Center Drive N., St. Petersburg, FL 33702.
Fax: 727-570-5583, Attention: Peter Hood.
Copies of Amendment 23, which includes a Regulatory Impact Review,
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analyses, and a Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement, may be obtained from the Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council, The Commons at Rivergate, 3018 U.S. Highway
301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619-2266; telephone: 813-228-2815;
fax: 813-225-7015; e-mail: gulfcouncil@gulfcouncil.org. Copies of
Amendment 23 can also be downloaded from the Council's website at
www.gulfcouncil.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Hood, telephone: 727-570-5305;
fax: 727-570-5583; e-mail: peter.hood@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The reef fish fishery in the EEZ of the Gulf
of Mexico is managed under the FMP. The FMP was prepared by the Council
under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act by regulations at 50
CFR part 622.
Background
In October 2003, NMFS declared the Gulf of Mexico stock of
vermilion snapper to be overfished and undergoing overfishing. This
determination was based in part on the results of a 2001 NMFS vermilion
stock assessment and review by the Council's Reef Fish Stock Assessment
Panel that found the stock to be undergoing overfishing. Subsequently,
NMFS reexamined the assessment, as well as more recent data that
ultimately supported the findings of the assessment, and declared the
Gulf of Mexico vermilion snapper stock overfished. Therefore, measures
to end overfishing and a rebuilding plan to restore the stock to the
biomass needed to allow harvest at maximum sustainable yield (BMSY) in
10 years or less are necessary.
Amendment 23 contains measures for vermilion snapper designed to
end overfishing and initiate implementation of the rebuilding plan that
allocates the necessary restrictions fairly and equitably between the
recreational and commercial sectors of the fishery, consistent with the
requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Rebuilding Plan
Amendment 23 would establish a 10-year vermilion snapper rebuilding
plan, structured in one 4-year interval followed by two 3 year
intervals, that would end overfishing and rebuild the stock to
BMSY. In Amendment 23, the rebuilding plan begins in 2004
and continues through 2013. However, due to the time required to
complete supporting documentation, implementation of this amendment
will not occur until 2005. Therefore, the rebuilding plan has been
moved forward one year and will begin in 2005. The intervals are
intended to provide short-term stability for the management and
operation of the fishery, correlate more closely with the timing of
future stock assessments, and provide a more reasonable time period for
assessing the impacts of prior management actions. The appropriate
parameters for each time interval, consistent with the overall
objectives of the rebuilding plan, would be determined based upon the
most recent stock assessment.
Initial (2005-2008) Implementation of the Rebuilding Plan
Based on the results of the 2001 vermilion snapper stock assessment
and updated indices of abundance, the allowable harvest for the first
4-year interval starting in 2005 is 1.475 million lb (0.664 million
kg). This equates to a 25.5-percent reduction in harvest based on the
2003 predicted landings. Measures to accomplish this reduction are:
(1) a minimum size limit for recreationally caught vermilion
snapper of 11 inches (27.9 cm) total length (TL);
(2) a bag limit of 10 fish within the 20-reef fish aggregate bag
limit. The increase in the size limit, from 10 inches (25.4 cm) TL to
11 inches (27.9 cm) TL, and the further restriction of the bag limit
would achieve approximately a 21.5-percent reduction relative to the
predicted 2003 harvest;
(3) a minimum size limit for commercially caught vermilion snapper
of 11 inches (27.9 cm) TL; and
(4) a closed commercial season from April 22 through May 31 each
year. This would achieve a 26.3-percent harvest reduction from the
estimated 2003 landings.
The reduction in harvest achieved by these measures is slightly
more than the target 25.5 percent needed by the rebuilding plan.
Increasing harvest by the commercial sector is believed to
[[Page 9029]]
have contributed the most to the overfishing and overfished conditions
that must be addressed by this amendment. Therefore, the Council
decided more of the socioeconomic cost of rebuilding the fishery should
be placed on the commercial sector. Because the commercial sector lands
the majority of vermilion snapper (79 percent of the harvest between
1996 and 2002), the harvest reduction of 26.3 percent obtained by these
measures was deemed appropriate.
In addition, Amendment 23 would establish biological reference
points and stock status determination criteria for vermilion snapper
(MSY, OY, MFMT, and MSST), consistent with the requirements of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Additional Review Procedures
A proposed rule that would implement measures outlined in the
amendment has been prepared. In accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens
Act, NMFS is evaluating the proposed rule to determine whether it is
consistent with Amendment 23, the FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and
other applicable law. If that determination is affirmative, NMFS will
publish the proposed rule in the Federal Register for public review and
comment.
Comments received by April 25, 2005, whether specifically directed
to the FMP or the proposed rule, will be considered by NMFS in its
decision to approve, disapprove, or partially approve Amendment 23.
Comments received after that date will not be considered by NMFS in
this decision. All comments received by NMFS on Amendment 23 or the
proposed rule during their respective comment periods will be addressed
in the final rule.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 18, 2005.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-3579 Filed 2-23-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
