[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 29, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 72962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33854]
[[Page 72962]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 300
[Docket No. 991207319-9319-01; I.D. 113099A]
Pacific Tuna Fisheries; Closure of Purse Seine Fishery for Bigeye
Tuna
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Fishing restrictions; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces closure of the 1999 purse seine fishery for
bigeye tuna in the eastern Pacific Ocean through a prohibition of purse
seine sets on floating objects in the eastern Pacific Ocean after
midnight on November 8, 1999.
DATES: Effective at 12:01 A.M. on November 9, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments to Rodney R. McInnis, Acting Regional
Administrator, Southwest Region (Regional Administrator), NMFS, 501 W.
Ocean Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Svein Fougner at 562-980-4040.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is taken under the authority of
the regulations at 50 CFR part 300, subpart C, which implement the Tuna
Conventions Act (16 U.S.C. Sec. 955). The U.S. is a member of the
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), which was established
under the Convention for the Establishment of an Inter-American
Tropical Tuna Commission signed in 1949. The IATTC was established to
provide an international arrangement to ensure the effective
international conservation and management of tunas and tuna-like fishes
in the Convention Area. The IATTC has maintained a scientific research
and fishery monitoring program for many years, and annually assesses
the status of stocks of tuna and the fisheries to determine appropriate
harvest limits or other measures to prevent overexploitation of the
stocks and promote viable fisheries. The Convention Area is all waters
of the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) between 40 deg. N. lat. and 40 deg.
S. lat. out to 150 deg. W. long.
At its annual meeting in June 1999, the IATTC adopted a resolution,
which was subsequently agreed to by the Department of State,
recommending that action be taken by member nations and other fishing
nations to limit the 1999 bigeye tuna catch by the purse seine fishery
in the Convention Area to 40,000 mt. The harvest limit was to be
implemented by prohibiting purse seine sets on all types of floating
objects in the Convention Area when this harvest level is reached. The
limit is intended to protect the spawning stock and maintain bigeye
stock productivity. Sets on floating objects result in relatively high
catch rates of juvenile bigeye, and available information suggests that
the stock cannot sustain purse seine catches in excess of 40,000 mt per
year. The closure of the purse seine fishery will limit the mortality
of small bigeye.
The IATTC Director reviewed available data on effort and catch of
bigeye in the purse seine fisheries throughout the year, and in October
projected that the limit of 40,000 mt would be reached on November 8,
1999. Accordingly, member nations of the IATTC were to prohibit further
sets on floating objects after that date.
Under regulations promulgated earlier this year (64 FR 44428,
August 16, 1999), the Regional Administrator is authorized to notify
the U.S. tuna industry directly of any quotas and associated regulatory
measures that have been recommended by the IATTC and approved by the
Department of State. In a separate action, the industry has been
advised accordingly. However, a Federal Register notification also must
be published as soon as practicable.
For the reasons stated here and in accordance with the regulations
at 64 FR 44428, August 16, 1999, NMFS herein announces: After midnight
on November 8, 1999, no U.S. vessel may make a purse seine set around
floating objects in the Convention Area.
Classification
This action is authorized by the regulations implementing the Tuna
Conventions Act. The determination to take this action is based on the
most recent data available. The aggregate data upon which the
determination is based are available for public inspection at the
Office of the Regional Administrator (see ADDRESSES) during business
hours. This action is taken under the authority of 50 CFR part 300,
subpart C and is exempt from review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 951-961 and 971 et seq.
Dated: December 22, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-33854 Filed 12-28-99; 8:45 am]
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