[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 50, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 50CFR648.22]

[Page 338-339]
 
                    TITLE 50--WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES
 
                         DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
 
PART 648--FISHERIES OF THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES--Table of Contents
 
  Subpart B--Management Measures for the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and 
                          Butterfish Fisheries
 
Sec. 648.22  Closure of the fishery.

    (a) General. NMFS shall close the directed mackerel fishery in the 
EEZ when U.S. fishermen have harvested 80 percent of the DAH of that 
fishery if such closure is necessary to prevent the DAH from being 
exceeded. The closure shall remain in effect for the remainder of the 
fishing year, with incidental catches allowed as specified in paragraph 
(c) of this section, until the entire DAH is attained. When the Regional 
Administrator projects that DAH will be attained for mackerel, NMFS will 
close the mackerel fishery in the EEZ, and the incidental catches 
specified for mackerel in paragraph (c) of this section will be 
prohibited. NMFS will close the directed fishery in the EEZ for Loligo 
when 80 percent is harvested in Quarters I, II and III, and when 95 
percent of the total annual DAH has been harvested. The closure of the 
directed fishery will be in effect for the remainder of the fishing 
year, with incidental catches allowed as specified in paragraph (c) of 
this section. NMFS will close the directed fishery in the EEZ for Illex 
or butterfish when 95 percent of the DAH has been harvested.

[[Page 339]]

The closure of the directed fishery will be in effect for the remainder 
of the fishing year, with incidental catches allowed as specified in 
paragraph (c) of this section.
    (b) Notification. Upon determining that a closure is necessary, the 
Assistant Administrator will notify, in advance of the closure, the 
Executive Directors of the MAFMC, NEFMC, and SAFMC; mail notification of 
the closure to all holders of mackerel, squid, and butterfish fishery 
permits at least 72 hours before the effective date of the closure; 
provide adequate notice of the closure to recreational participants in 
the fishery; and publish notification of closure in the Federal 
Register.
    (c) Incidental catches. During the closure of the directed fishery 
for mackerel, the possession limit for mackerel is 10 percent by weight 
of the total amount of fish on board. During a period of closure of the 
directed fishery for Loligo, Illex, or butterfish, the possession limit 
for Loligo and butterfish is 2,500 lb (1.13 mt) each, and the possession 
limit for Illex is 5,000 lb (2.27 mt). Vessels may not land more than 
these limits during any single calendar day, which is defined as the 24-
hour period beginning at 0001 hours and ending at 2400 hours.

[61 FR 34968, July 3, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 8637, Feb. 26, 1997; 65 
FR 16345, Mar. 28, 2000; 65 FR 81765, Dec. 27, 2000; 66 FR 13028, Mar. 
2, 2001]