International fisheries regulations: Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Regulatory Area; U.S. fish quota allocations,

[Federal Register: December 23, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 246)]

[Rules and Regulations]

[Page 72035-72036]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr23de99-14]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 300

[I.D. 120999F]

Notification of U.S. Fish Quota Allocations in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Regulatory Area

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notification of U.S. fish quota allocations.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that fish quota allocations are available for harvest by U.S. fishermen in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Regulatory Area.

DATES: Fish quotas are effective January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2000.

ADDRESSES: For more information regarding the High Seas Fishing Compliance Act (HSFCA) Permit and NAFO requirements, please contact the Office of the Regional Administrator, NMFS Northeast Regional Office at One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930 (phone: 978-281- 9226, fax: 978-281-9371).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick E. Moran, 301-713-2276.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NAFO has established and maintains conservation measures in its Regulatory Area that include one effort limitation fishery as well as fisheries with total allowable catches (TACs) and member nation allocations. The principal species managed are cod, flounders, redfish, American plaice, halibut, capelin, shrimp, and squid. At the 1999 NAFO Annual Meeting, the United States received fish quota allocations for three NAFO stocks to be fished during 2000. In addition, the United States received an effort allocation for shrimp in NAFO Division 3M, which will be addressed in a separate notice. The species, fish quota allocation (in metric tons), and location of these U.S. fishing opportunities are as follows:

(1) Redfish 69 mt NAFO Division 3M

(2) Shrimp 67 mt NAFO Division 3L

(3) Squid 453 mt NAFO Subareas 3 & 4

All U.S. fish quota allocations in NAFO are available, on a first- come-first-served basis, to be taken by U.S. vessels in possession of a valid High Seas Fishing Compliance Act (HSFCA) permit and NAFO reporting forms, both of which are available from the NMFS Northeast Regional Office. Note that

[[Page 72036]]

vessels issued valid High Seas Fishing Compliance permits under 50 CFR part 300 are exempt from multispecies permit, mesh size, effort- control, and possession limit restrictions, specified in Secs. 648.4, 648.80, 648.82 and 648.86, respectively, while transiting the U.S. EEZ with multispecies on board the vessel or landing multispecies in U.S. ports that were caught while fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area, provided:

(1) The vessel operator has a letter of authorization issued by the Regional Administrator on board the vessel;

(2) For the duration of the trip, the vessel fishes exclusively in the NAFO Regulatory Area and does not harvest fish in, or possess fish harvested in or from, the U.S. EEZ;

(3) When transiting the U.S. EEZ, all gear is properly stowed in accordance with one of the applicable methods specified in Sec. 648.81(e); and

(4) The vessel operator complies with the HSFCA permit and all NAFO conservation and enforcement measures while fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area.

Relevant NAFO Conservation and Enforcement Measures include, but are not limited to, maintenance of a fishing logbook with NAFO- designated entries; adherence to NAFO hail system requirements; presence of an on-board observer; deployment of a functioning, autonomous vessel monitoring system; and adherence with all relevant minimum size, gear, bycatch, and other requirements. Further details regarding these requirements can be found in the current NAFO Conservation and Enforcement Measures, available on the World Wide Web at ‹http://www.nafo.ca›.

As the United States Government is required to notify NAFO with information regarding vessels intending to fish in the NAFO Regulatory Area, interested parties are encouraged to express their interest to the Office of the Regional Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office (see ADDRESSES) as soon as possible.

NMFS has received inquiries regarding the possibility of making U.S. fishing opportunities available to U.S. fishing interests using foreign vessels under contractual arrangements. To be consistent with domestic policies and practices under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, in particular the provisions relating to the total allowable level of foreign fishing and joint venture fishing, and, in light of the apparent capacity of U.S. vessels to take advantage of NAFO fishing opportunities, NMFS has determined that NAFO fish allocations to the United States will not be made available, at this time, to chartered fishing vessels registered to foreign governments.

In the interests of expanding fishing opportunities for U.S. vessels, the United States has begun seeking additional fishing opportunities in the 3L shrimp fishery by requesting that NAFO members that did not fish their shrimp allocation in 1999 transfer such allocations for use by U.S. vessels. Information regarding any additional fishing opportunities resulting from transfers from other NAFO members will be published in the Federal Register.

Dated: December 16, 1999. Penelope D. Dalton, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Services.

[FR Doc. 99-33354Filed12-22-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-F