Pacific Island Fisheries; 2015 Harvest Guideline; Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Lobster

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 25 (Friday, February 6, 2015)

Federal Register Volume 80, Number 25 (Friday, February 6, 2015)

Rules and Regulations

Page 6663

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2015-02419

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 665

RIN 0648-XD745

Pacific Island Fisheries; 2015 Harvest Guideline; Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Lobster

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

ACTION: Notification of lobster harvest guideline.

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SUMMARY: NMFS establishes the annual harvest guideline for the commercial lobster fishery in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands for calendar year 2015 at zero lobsters.

DATES: February 6, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Harman, NMFS PIR Sustainable Fisheries, tel 808-725-5170.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) commercial lobster fishery is managed under the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the Hawaiian Archipelago. The regulations at 50 CFR 665.252(b) require NMFS to publish an annual harvest guideline for lobster Permit Area 1, comprised of Federal waters around the NWHI. Regulations governing the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the NWHI prohibit the unpermitted removal of monument resources (50 CFR 404.7), and establish a zero annual harvest guideline for lobsters (50 CFR 404.10(a)). Accordingly, NMFS establishes the harvest guideline for the NWHI commercial lobster fishery for calendar year 2015 at zero lobsters. Thus, no harvest of NWHI lobster resources is allowed.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: February 3, 2015

H. Menashes,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

FR Doc. 2015-02419 Filed 2-5-15; 8:45 am

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