Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Prohibition of the use of Regular B Days-at-Sea in the Georges Bank Cod Stock Area

NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), has projected that 100 percent of the quarterly incidental total allowable catch (TAC) of Georges Bank (GB) cod specified to be harvested under the Regular B Days-at-Sea (DAS) Pilot Program will be harvested by July 18, 2005. Therefore, the use of Regular B DAS under the Regular B DAS Pilot Program is prohibited throughout the GB cod stock area through the end of the current quarter (see the DATES and SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION sections of this rule for further details). The intended effect of this action is to prevent over-harvesting the incidental catch TAC of GB cod under the Regular B DAS Pilot Program during the current quarter, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.