The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) has submitted to the Office of the Federal Register a proposed rule on May 10, 2004, that would adjust the Atlantic LCS seasonal quota for the North Atlantic management region for the 2004 fishing year. This rule is expected to publish on or about May 13, 2004. Specifically, the proposed rule would adjust the split for the North Atlantic region, as outlined in Amendment 1, from a 50/50 split to a 20/80 split between the two semi-annual fishing seasons to allow a greater proportion of the quota to be landed in the second semi-annual season. Thus, without adjusting for over- or underharvest the North Atlantic regional quotas would be 8.1 mt dw and 32.5 mt dw for the first and second semi-annual seasons, respectively.

Regional quotas were finalized on December 24, 2003 (68 FR 74746). This rule would not change the annual regional quota for the North Atlantic, but would rather adjust the North Atlantic regional quota allocation between the two 2004 semi-annual fishing seasons. Once published this rule will be available on the HMS website at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms.

Comments should be sent to Christopher Rogers, Chief, Highly Migratory Species Division, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 by May 28, 2004. Comments can also be emailed to 0648.AS28@noaa.gov.

This FAX notice is a courtesy to the HMS fishery participants to help keep you informed about your fishery. For further information regarding this proposed rule contact Chris Rilling, Heather Stirratt, or Karyl Brewster-Geisz at (301) 713-2347. Official notice of Federal fishing actions is made through filling such notice with the Office of Federal Register.

Alan D. Risenhoover May 11, 2004
for
John H. Dunnigan
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries