[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 65 (Thursday, April 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18260-18261]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 08-1090]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XG78
Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions;
Tautog Fishery
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of cancellation of Federal moratorium.
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SUMMARY: 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).
DATES: Effective March 31, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Harold C. Mears, Director, State, Federal and Constituent
Programs Office, NMFS, Northeast Region, One Blackburn Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Ross, Fishery Management
Specialist, NMFS, Northeast Region, (978) 281-9327, fax (978) 281-9117,
e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Tautog (Tautoga onitis), often known by the common name
``blackfish,'' is a coastal fish species ranging from Nova Scotia to
South Carolina, but most abundant from the southern Gulf of Maine
(lower Massachusetts Bay and southern Cape Cod Bay) to Chesapeake Bay.
The Commission manages this species according to its Tautog Plan. The
Commission's Tautog Plan can be located at http://www.asmfc.org,
(select ``Interstate Fishery Management,'' then select ``Tautog.'').
On February 7, 2008, the Commission voted the State of New Jersey
out of compliance with the Commission's Tautog Plan. Specifically, the
Commission found that New Jersey had not implemented management
measures to achieve the required 25.6 percent reduction in tautog
exploitation as was required by the Tautog Plan. The Commission
forwarded the findings of their vote on February 7, 2008, in a formal
non-compliance referral letter that the Secretary of Commerce
(Secretary) received on February 11, 2008.
On March 10, 2008, upon a delegation of authority from the
Secretary, NMFS completed its independent review of the Commission's
findings and NMFS determined that the State of New Jersey was not in
compliance with the Commission's Tautog Plan and that the measures New
Jersey failed to implement and enforce are necessary for the
conservation of the tautog fishery. New Jersey was notified by letter
on March 11, 2008, that NMFS declared a Federal moratorium on fishing
for, possession of, and landing of tautog by the recreational and
commercial fishermen in New Jersey state waters effective April 1,
2008, if New Jersey has not complied with the Commission's Tautog Plan
by that date. Details were provided in a Federal Register notice
published on March 14, 2008 (73 FR 13864), and are not repeated here.
Activities Pursuant to the Atlantic Coastal Act
The Atlantic Coastal Act specifies that, if, after a moratorium is
declared with respect to a State, the Secretary is notified by the
Commission that it is withdrawing the determination of noncompliance,
the Secretary shall immediately determine whether the State is in
compliance with the applicable plan. If the state is determined to be
in compliance, the moratorium shall be terminated. On March 26, 2008,
NMFS received a letter from the Commission that New Jersey has taken
corrective action to comply with the Tautog Plan, and that the
Commission has withdrawn its determination of noncompliance.
Cancellation of the Moratorium
Based on the Commission's March 26, 2008, letter, information
received from the State of New Jersey, and NMFS review of New Jersey's
revised tautog regulations, which achieved the required 25.6-percent
reduction in tautog exploitation as was required by the Tautog Plan,
NMFS concurs with the Commission's determination that New Jersey is now
in compliance with the Tautog Plan. Therefore, the moratorium on
fishing for, possession of, and landing of tautog by the recreational
and commercial fishermen within New Jersey waters is canceled.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.
[[Page 18261]]
Dated: March 31, 2008.
James W. Balsiger,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 08-1090 Filed 3-31-08; 3:59 pm]
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