Rule2025-11727
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; 2025 Small-Mesh Multispecies Specifications
Primary source
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Published
June 26, 2025
Effective
July 28, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS is finalizing specifications for the 2025 small-mesh multispecies fishery, including an annual catch limit (ACL) and total allowable landings (TAL) limit. This action is necessary to fully implement previously projected allowable small-mesh multispecies harvest levels that will prevent overfishing and allow harvesting of optimum yield (OY). This action is intended to establish the allowable 2025 harvest levels, consistent with the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 121 (Thursday, June 26, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 121 (Thursday, June 26, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 27259-27261]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-11727]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 250623-0108; RTID 0648-XE702]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast
Multispecies Fishery; 2025 Small-Mesh Multispecies Specifications
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is finalizing specifications for the 2025 small-mesh
multispecies fishery, including an annual catch limit (ACL) and total
allowable landings (TAL) limit. This action is necessary to fully
implement previously projected allowable small-mesh multispecies
harvest levels that will prevent overfishing and allow harvesting of
optimum yield (OY). This action is intended to establish the allowable
2025 harvest levels, consistent with the Northeast Multispecies Fishery
Management Plan (FMP).
DATES: Effective July 28, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannah Jaburek, Fishery Policy
Analyst, (978) 282-8456.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) manages the
small-mesh multispecies fishery within the Northeast Multispecies FMP.
The small-mesh multispecies fishery is made up of three species of
hakes that are managed as five stocks: (1) Northern and southern silver
hake; (2) northern and southern red hake; and (3) offshore hake.
Southern silver hake and offshore hake are often grouped together for
management purposes and collectively referred to as ``southern
whiting.'' Amendment 19 to the FMP (April 4, 2013, 78 FR 20260)
established a process for specifying catch limits for the small-mesh
multispecies fishery stocks, including values for an overfishing limit
(OFL), acceptable biological catch (ABC), ACL, and TAL. The FMP
requires that this specifications process be implemented on an annual
basis for up to 3 years at a time with each fishing year running from
May 1 through April 30. Prior to the start of fishing year 2024, the
Council recommended specifications for the 2024-2026 fishing years
(table 1).
The Council's recommendations for the 2024-2026 small-mesh
multispecies fishery specifications are based on the most recent
assessments of the small-mesh multispecies stocks conducted in
September 2023 and the recommendations from the Council's Scientific
and Statistical Committee. The southern red hake stock remains under a
rebuilding plan established in Framework Adjustment 62 to the Northeast
Multispecies FMP (87 FR 3694, January 25, 2022), and we will continue
to implement the 25-percent
[[Page 27260]]
reduction on the Council-recommended ABC in accordance with the
rebuilding plan. We continue to maintain the position that we do not
anticipate the 25-percent reduction to have a meaningful impact on
industry. The fishery has landed approximately 19 percent of the TAL
for the 2024 fishing year as of the end of February 2025 and is not
anticipated to have substantially higher landings for the remainder of
the year based on fishing trends over the last three years.
Table 1--Approved 2024-2026 Small-Mesh Multispecies Specifications
[Metric tons (mt)]
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OFL ABC ACL TAL
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Northern Red Hake................... Unknown 3,129 2,973 1,274
Northern Silver Hake................ 79,473 40,868 38,825 31,347
Southern Red Hake................... Unknown ** 1,370 1,301 234
Southern Whiting *.................. 35,419 20,149 19,142 13,881
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* Southern whiting includes both southern silver hake and offshore hake.
** Includes a 25-percent reduction on the Council-recommended ABC of 1,826 mt in accordance with the rebuilding
plan.
On August 29, 2024, NMFS published a final rule implementing the
Council-recommended specifications with the required reduction to
southern red hake for the 2024 fishing year, effective through April
30, 2025, and projecting the fishery's specifications for 2025 through
2026 (89 FR 70124). At the end of each fishing year, we evaluate catch
information and determine if any of the quotas have been exceeded. If a
quota is exceeded, the regulations at 50 CFR 648.90(b)(5)(ii) require
that in a subsequent year, the in-season adjustment trigger that
reduces possession limits be reduced by the same percentage that the
ACL was exceeded. In any given year when new specifications are not
implemented by May 1, the start of the new fishing year, the previous
year's specifications remain in effect until superseded by the final
rule implementing the current year's specifications (50 CFR
648.90(b)(1)(iv)(D)).
Specifications for the 2025 Fishing Year
We have reviewed available 2023 and 2024 fishery information
against the projected 2025 specifications. At its September 2024
meeting, the Council received the 2023 year-end report and did not make
any recommended changes to the 2025 proposed specifications. There have
been no quota overages, nor is there any new biological information
that would require altering the projected 2025 specifications published
in 2024. Based on this information, we are finalizing specifications
for fishing year 2025, as projected in the 2024 specifications rule,
and outlined above in table 1. These specifications are not expected to
result in overfishing and adequately account for scientific
uncertainty. NMFS will provide notice of the final 2026 specifications,
and any necessary reductions, prior to the start of the 2026 fishing
year.
Classification
NMFS is issuing this rule pursuant to the authority at section
305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which authorizes the Secretary of
Commerce to implement management measures necessary to carry out an
approved FMP. Small-mesh multispecies specifications are implemented
pursuant to the regulations at 50 CFR 648.90 that were approved and
implemented by NMFS in Amendment 19 to the FMP (78 FR 20260; April 4,
2013). The NMFS Assistant Administrator has determined that this final
rule is consistent with the Northeast Multispecies FMP, the 2024-2026
small-mesh multispecies specifications, and other applicable law.
This final rule is exempt from review under Executive Order (E.O.)
12866 and from E.O. 14192.
Pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C.
553(c)) and the process described in the small-mesh multispecies
regulations (Sec. 648.90), NMFS provided the public with the
opportunity to comment on the proposed rule to implement 2024-2026
small-mesh multispecies fishery specifications (89 FR 59034; July 22,
2024), which included the projected 2025 specifications that are being
reaffirmed through this final rule. We received one comment on the
proposed rule that requested we correct the northern red hake TAL to
reflect the Council's recommendation and acknowledging our requirement
to adjust the southern red hake ABC to meet the requirements of the
rebuilding plan. We responded to that comment and made the requested
correction in the final rule to implement 2024-2026 small-mesh
multispecies specifications (89 FR 70124, August 29, 2024). This final
rule contains no changes from the projected 2025 specifications that
were included in the August 29, 2024, final rule (89 FR 70124). Through
both the proposed rule for the 2024-2026 specifications and the final
rule for the 2024 specifications, we alerted the public that we would
conduct a review of the latest available catch information in each of
the interim years of the multi-year specifications and announce the
final quota prior to the May 1 start of the fishing year. Thus, the
proposed and final rules that contained the projected 2025
specifications provided a full opportunity for the public to comment on
the substance and process of this action. Furthermore, at the September
2024 Council meeting, there was an opportunity for additional public
comment following the Whiting Committee report. No comment was received
about the proposed 2025 specifications.
The Chief Counsel for Regulation, Department of Commerce,
previously certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small
Business Administration (SBA) that the 2024-2026 small-mesh
multispecies specifications would not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small entities. Implementing the 2025
specifications will not change the conclusions drawn in that previous
certification to the SBA. No comments were received regarding this
prior certification. As a result, no new regulatory flexibility
analysis is required and none has been prepared.
This action does not contain a collection of information
requirement for purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). NMFS has determined that this action would not
have a substantial direct effect on one or more Indian Tribes, on the
relationship between the Federal Government and Indian Tribes, or on
the distribution of power and responsibilities between the Federal
Government and Indian Tribes; therefore, consultation with Tribal
officials under E.O. 13175 is not
[[Page 27261]]
required, and the requirements of sections (5)(b) and (5)(c) of E.O.
13175 also do not apply. A Tribal summary impact statement under
section (5)(b)(2)(B) and section (5)(c)(2)(B) of E.O. 13175 is not
required and has not been prepared.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: June 23, 2025.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-11727 Filed 6-25-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on June 26, 2025.
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