National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration April 3, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule implements the Georges Bank (GB) Cod Hook Sector (Hook Sector) Fishing Year (FY) 2008 Operations Plan and Agreement, approved by the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), and modifies the eligibility criteria for membership for the Hook Sector and the GB Cod Fixed Gear Sector (Fixed Gear Sector). Amendment 13 to the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (Amendment 13) authorized allocation of up to 20 percent of the annual GB cod total allowable catch (TAC) to the Hook Sector. Pursuant to that authorization, the Sector submitted an Operations Plan and Sector Contract entitled, ``Georges Bank Cod Hook Sector Fishing Year 2008-2009 Operations Plan and Agreement'' (together referred to as the Sector Agreement) and an Environmental Assessment (EA), and requested an allocation of GB cod, consistent with the FMP. This action results in authorization of the Sector Operations Plan during the 2008 fishing year and allocation of 658 mt of GB cod to the Sector. This rule also modifies the eligibility criteria for membership in both the Hook Sector and the Fixed Gear Sector by allowing vessels without GB cod landings history to join a sector.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Crab Committee will meet.

NMFS announces the cancellation of the Federal moratorium on fishing for tautog in the State waters of New Jersey. NMFS canceled the moratorium, as required by the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act (Atlantic Coastal Act), based on the determination that New Jersey is now in compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (Commission) Tautog Interstate Fishery Management Plan (Plan).