Sea Turtle Conservation; Restrictions Applicable to Fishery Activities; Summer Flounder Fishery-Sea Turtle Protection Area
bis-export-control · Bureau of Industry and Security · Published 1996-01-24 · Effective 1996-01-23 · 61 FR 1845
Document
Document number
96-961
Federal Register citation
61 FR 1845
CFR reference
50 CFR 217
Type
Rule
Action
Final rule.
Category
bis-export-control
Sub-agency
Bureau of Industry and Security
Publication date
1996-01-24
Effective date
1996-01-23
Commerce docket
Docket No. 960116009-6009-01
Abstract
This final rule requires summer flounder bottom trawlers to have a NMFS-approved turtle excluder device (TED) installed in any net that is rigged for fishing in the waters off Virginia and North Carolina from 37 deg.05' N. lat. (Cape Charles, VA) southward to 33 deg.35' N. lat. (North Carolina-South Carolina border) year round, except for trawlers north of 35 deg.46.1' N. lat. (Oregon Inlet, NC), which are exempt from this requirement from January 15 through March 15 each year. However due to unavoidable delays, the exemption from this requirement in 1996 begins on January 23, 1996. This final rule allows the summer flounder bottom trawl fishery to continue fishing while providing adequate protection to endangered and threatened sea turtles.