[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 204 (Monday, October 23, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54330-54331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-26081]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 652
[Docket No. 951017252-5252-01; I.D. 101695C]
Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed 1996 fishing quotas for surf clams and ocean quahogs;
request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS issues proposed quotas for the Atlantic surf clam and
ocean quahog fisheries for 1996. These quotas are selected from a range
defined as optimum yield (OY) for each fishery. The intent of this
action is to establish allowable harvests of surf clams and ocean
quahogs from the exclusive economic zone in 1996.
DATES: Public comments must be received on or before November 16, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Andrew A. Rosenberg, Regional Director,
Northeast Region, NMFS One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298.
Mark on the outside of the envelope, ``Comments--1996 Surf Clam and
Ocean Quahog Quotas.''
Copies of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's analysis
and recommendations are available from David R. Keifer, Executive
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Room 2115, Federal
Building, 300 South New Street, Dover, DE 19901-6790.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Myles Raizin (Resource Policy
Analyst), 508-281-9104.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS, acting on behalf of the Secretary of
Commerce, in consultation with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Council (Council), is directed under the Fishery Management Plan for
the Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries (FMP), to specify
quotas for surf clams and ocean quahogs on an annual basis from a range
defined by the FMP as the OY for each fishery. Further, it is the
policy of the Council that the levels selected should allow fishing to
continue at that level for at least 10 years for surf clams and 30
years for ocean quahogs. While staying within these constraints, the
quotas are also to be set at a level that would meet the estimated
annual demand.
For surf clams, the quota must fall within the OY range of 1.85
million bushels (mil. bu.) to 3.4 mil. bu. For ocean quahogs, the quota
must fall within the OY range of 4.00 mil. bu. to 6.00 mil. bu.
During its discussions of the 1996 quota recommendations, the
Council also considered revising the overfishing definitions specified
in the FMP. Overfishing is presently defined for both species in terms
of actual yield levels, that is, overfishing is defined as harvests in
excess of the quota levels specified for a given year. These
overfishing definitions do not incorporate biological considerations to
protect against overfishing of the two species. The Council is now
developing an amendment to the FMP that contains new overfishing
definitions. NMFS will review the proposed quotas for 1996 in the
context of the new proposed overfishing definitions before issuing the
final quotas for 1996.
In proposing these quotas, NMFS considered the available stock
assessments, data reported by harvesters and processors, and other
relevant information concerning exploitable biomass and spawning
biomass, fishing mortality rates, stock recruitment, projected effort
and catches, and areas closed to fishing. This information was
presented in a written report, ``Overview of the Surf Clam and Ocean
Quahog Fisheries and Quota Recommendations for 1996,'' prepared by the
Council. The proposed quotas for the 1996 Atlantic surf clam and ocean
quahog fisheries are shown below. The surf clam quota would be
unchanged from 1995, and the ocean quahog quota would be reduced by
approximately 9 percent.
NMFS notes that the Council used the 1992 stock abundance survey,
as described in the 1993 stock assessment report, in setting the 1996
quotas. The most recent stock abundance survey, completed in 1994, was
considered to be a statistical anomaly as described in the final
specifications for these species in 1995 (60 FR 25853), and was set
aside until a more thorough review of the data was possible. As this
review is not completed, NMFS still considers the 1992 stock abundance
survey to be the best scientific information available. This data was
used in conjunction with the updated information stated above.
Proposed 1996 Surf Clam/Ocean Quahog Quotas
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996 final 1996 final
Fishery quotas (mil. quotas (mil.
bu) hL)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Surf clam............................... 2.565 1.362
Ocean quahog............................ 4.450 2.363
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Surf Clams
The Council staff originally proposed a surf clam quota of 2.843
mil. bu., based on the assumption that Georges Bank, presently closed
to the fishery due to the presence of paralytic shellfish poisoning
toxin (PSP), would reopen. The staff assumed that the risks from PSP
would be eliminated by implementation of a dockside test for the toxin
and that half of the surf clam resource on Georges Bank would be
available over the next 10 years. As a result of this assumption, the
staff recommended an increase in quota of 10 percent from the 1995
level of 2.565 mil. bu.
The staff recommendation was presented to the Council's Science and
Statistical Committee (SSC), Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Committee
(Committee), and Industry Advisors at a meeting in July, 1995. These
bodies did not accept the staff assumption concerning the reopening of
Georges Bank. At the July meeting, the SSC was the only body to make an
alternative quota recommendation; the SSC recommended that the 1996
quota should remain unchanged from 1995 (2.565 mil. bu.).
In August, 1995, the Council met as a ``Committee of the Whole'' to
consider the SSC recommendation and revised the staff recommendation.
Subsequent to its original proposal, the staff reviewed two projections
based on the most recent stock assessment, both of which assumed that
there would be no Georges Bank harvest. The first projection estimated
the number of years that the quota could remain at the 1995 level of
2.565 mil. bu. This projection showed a median of 7 supply years, with
an 80% confidence level that the supply years would fall into a range
between 5 and 10 years. The second projection calculated that a
[[Page 54331]]
quota level of 2.473 mil. bu. was the median estimate of a 10-year
supply. The staff recommended basing the quota on the second, more
conservative, projection. The ``Committee of the Whole'' adopted the
SSC recommendation for a 1996 quota of 2.565 mil. bu., rather than the
staff recommendation, because uncertainties in the projections
indicated that there was no compelling reason for a quota reduction at
this time. The Committee of the Whole's recommendation was adopted by
the Council at its meeting in September, 1995.
Ocean Quahogs
The Council staff proposed an ocean quahog quota of 4.45 mil. bu.,
a reduction of 9 percent from 1995. This reduction is based on a
recalculation by Council staff of the harvest level that could be
maintained over a 30-year period. This recommendation assumes that all
of the Georges Bank biomass will become available to the fishery over
the course of the 30-year harvest period. In making this assumption,
however, the Council stated that additional quota reductions would be
necessary in the future if demonstrable progress is not made toward a
reopening of Georges Bank in the near future.
The staff recommendation was adopted by the SSC in July, 1995, by
the Committee of the Whole in August, 1995, and by the Council in
September, 1995.
Classification
This action is authorized by 50 CFR Part 652 and is exempt from
review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 17, 1995.
Gary Matlock,
Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-26081 Filed 10-17-95; 3:32 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-W