NOAA Fisheries Announces a Final Rule for North and South Atlantic Swordfish Fis


NOAA Fisheries Announces a Final Rule for North and South Atlantic Swordfish Fisheries


NOAA Fisheries has published a final rule to implement North and South Atlantic swordfish quota recommendations from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). This rule includes the following actions:


• Increases the United States North Atlantic swordfish quota to 2,937 mt dressed weight (dw) in 2004 and 2005;


• Allows 150.4 mt dw of the North Atlantic swordfish catch limit to be harvested from an area between 5 degrees North latitude and 5 degrees South latitude;


• Transfers 18.8 mt dw of North Atlantic swordfish quota to Canada in 2004, and 2005; and,


• Establishes for the United States a 75.2 mt dw South Atlantic swordfish quota in 2004 and 2005 and 90.2 mt dw in 2006.


For more information, contact ch***********@no**.gov. Copies of the final rule, environmental assessment, and regulatory impact review are available upon request from the Highly Migratory Species Management Division (phone: 301-713-2347). The information is also available on the HMS website under Breaking News.


NOAA Fisheries Announces a Final Rule for North and South Atlantic Swordfish Fisheries


NOAA Fisheries has published a final rule to implement North and South Atlantic swordfish quota recommendations from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). This rule includes the following actions:


• Increases the United States North Atlantic swordfish quota to 2,937 mt dressed weight (dw) in 2004 and 2005;


• Allows 150.4 mt dw of the North Atlantic swordfish catch limit to be harvested from an area between 5 degrees North latitude and 5 degrees South latitude;


• Transfers 18.8 mt dw of North Atlantic swordfish quota to Canada in 2004, and 2005; and,


• Establishes for the United States a 75.2 mt dw South Atlantic swordfish quota in 2004 and 2005 and 90.2 mt dw in 2006.


For more information, contact ch***********@no**.gov. Copies of the final rule, environmental assessment, and regulatory impact review are available upon request from the Highly Migratory Species Management Division (phone: 301-713-2347). The information is also available on the HMS website under Breaking News.