[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 235 (Thursday, December 6, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 72762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-29518]
[[Page 72762]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 101013504-0610-02]
RIN 0648-XC353
Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries; 2013 Fishing Quotas
for Atlantic Surfclams and Ocean Quahogs; and Suspension of Minimum
Atlantic Surfclam Size Limit
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule.
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SUMMARY: NMFS suspends the minimum size limit for Atlantic surfclams
for the 2013 fishing year. NMFS also announces that the quotas for the
Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries for 2013 will remain
status quo. Regulations governing these fisheries require NMFS to
notify the public in the Federal Register of the allowable harvest
levels for Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs from the Exclusive
Economic Zone if the previous year's quota specifications remain
unchanged.
DATES: Effective January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jason Berthiaume, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9177; fax (978) 281-9135.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 648.72(c) of the regulations
implementing the fishery management plan (FMP) for the Atlantic
surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries authorizes the Administrator,
Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), to suspend annually,
by publication of a notification in the Federal Register, the minimum
size limit for Atlantic surfclams. This action may be taken unless
discard, catch, and biological sampling data indicate that 30 percent
or more of the Atlantic surfclam resource is smaller than 4.75 in (120
mm) and the overall reduced size is not attributable to harvest from
beds where growth of the individual clams has been reduced because of
density-dependent factors.
At its June 2012 meeting, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Council (Council) voted to recommend that the Regional Administrator
suspend the minimum size limit for Atlantic surfclams for the 2013
fishing year. Commercial surfclam data for 2012 were analyzed to
determine the percentage of surfclams that were smaller than the
minimum size requirement. The analysis indicated that 5.6 percent of
the overall commercial landings were composed of surfclams that were
less than 4.75 in (120 mm). Based on these data, the Regional
Administrator concurs with the Council's recommendation and suspends
the minimum size limit for Atlantic surfclams from January 1 through
December 31, 2013.
The FMP for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries
requires that NMFS issue notification in the Federal Register of the
upcoming year's quota, even in cases where the quota remains unchanged
from the previous year. At its June 2012 meeting, the Council also
voted that no action be taken to change the quota specifications for
Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs for the 2013 fishing year (January
1 through December 31, 2013), and recommended maintaining the 2012
quota levels of 3.4 million bu (181 million L) for Atlantic surfclams,
5.333 million bu (284 million L) for ocean quahogs, and 100,000 Maine
bu (3.524 million L) for Maine ocean quahogs, as announced in the
Federal Register on December 27, 2010 (75 FR 81142).
Classification
This action is authorized by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from
review under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 3, 2012.
Lindsay Fullenkamp,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-29518 Filed 12-5-12; 8:45 am]
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