[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 175 (Tuesday, September 9, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 52214-52216]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-20924]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 0808251151-81155-01]
RIN 0648-AX18
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast
Multispecies Fishery; Nomenclature Change to Rename the ``Haddock Rope
Trawl'' the ``Ruhle Trawl''; Final Rule
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule; nomenclature change.
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SUMMARY: NMFS changes the name of a previously approved trawl gear
referred to as the ``Haddock Rope trawl'' to the ``Ruhle Trawl.'' The
intent of this action is to recognize the effort of Captain Phil Ruhle,
Sr., who was instrumental in the development of this gear.
DATES: September 9, 2008
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Technical Report ``Bycatch Reduction in the
Directed Haddock Bottom Trawl Fishery'' and a diagram of the Ruhle
Trawl may be obtained from NMFS at the following address: National
Marine Fisheries Service, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930;
telephone (978) 281-9315.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edward Stern, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9177, fax (978) 281-9135, e-mail
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At the request of the New England Fishery
Management Council, NMFS published a final rule on July 14, 2008 (73 FR
40186), with an effective date of August 13, 2008, that implemented new
gear for use in the Regular B Days At Sea (DAS) Program and the Eastern
U.S./Canada Haddock Special Access Program (SAP). The purpose of this
new gear is to reduce discards under the Northeast (NE) Multispecies
Fishery Management Plan (FMP). In the final rule, and in other
documents relied on for the final rule, the new gear was referred to as
the ``Haddock Rope Trawl'' or``Eliminator Trawl.'' A detailed
description of the need for, and use of, additional types of trawl
gear, and a description of the review process used to evaluate the
gear's performance, can be found in the preamble of the proposed rule
(73 FR 29098), published on May 20, 2008.
[[Page 52215]]
In 2007, Captain Phil Ruhle, Sr., was recognized with David Beutel
and Laura Scrobe from the University of Rhode Island, and fellow
fishermen James O'Grady and Phil Ruhle, Jr., as the grand prize winners
of the 2007 World Wildlife Fund's International Smart Gear Competition.
The award credited Captain Ruhle and his team for designing the new
trawl, then referred to as ``The Eliminator.'' The July 14, 2008, final
rule approved this gear for limited use in Federal waters under the
FMP. On July 23, 2008, Captain Phil Ruhle, Sr., perished when his
fishing vessel, the F/V SEA BREEZE, capsized and sank in heavy seas off
New Jersey. Renaming the new gear the Ruhle Trawl is to honor Captain
Phil Ruhle, Sr., as a primary developer of this gear and an innovator
in the fishing industry.
Classification
The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA) finds good
cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior notice and the
opportunity for public comment because it would be unnecessary. Because
prior notice is not required, no Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (RFA)
is required and one has not been prepared. The rule simply changes the
name of the ``Haddock Rope Trawl'' to the ``Ruhle Trawl''. It has no
effect on the gear or the manner in which it is fished. This rule is
not anticipated to cause confusion in the fishery, nor will it require
significant remarking of existing gear. This rule will not impact other
regulations. The AA further finds pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) good
cause to waive the thirty (30) day delayed effectiveness period for the
reasons stated above. This nomenclature change is published pursuant to
50 CFR part 648 and has been determined to be not significant for
purposes of Executive Order 12866.
Dated: September 3, 2008.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator For Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
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For the reasons set out in the preamble, NMFS amends 50 CFR part 648 as
follows:
PART 648--FISHERIES OF THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES
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1. The authority citation for part 648 continues to read as follows:
Authority 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Sec. Sec. 648.2, 648.14, and 648.85 [Amended]
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2. In the table below, for each section in the left column, remove the
name ``haddock rope trawl'' from wherever it appears throughout the
section and add the name ``RuhleTrawl'' indicated in the right column
for the number of times indicated.
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Section Remove Add Frequency
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Sec. 648.2 haddock Ruhle 1
rope trawl Trawl
Sec. 648.14 haddock Ruhle 1
rope trawl Trawl
Sec. 648.85 haddock Ruhle 8
rope trawl Trawl
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3. Figure 1 to Part 648 is revised to read as follows:
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[FR Doc. E8-20924 Filed 9-8-08; 8:45 am]
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