Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery; Closure of the Nantucket Lightship Scallop Access Area to Scallop Vessels

NMFS announces the closure of the Nantucket Lightship Scallop Access Area (NLCA) to scallop vessels until June 15, 2007. This closure, effective 0001 hours on July 20, 2006, is based on a determination by the Northeast Regional Administrator (RA) that scallop vessels may attain the yellowtail flounder (YT) bycatch total allowable catch (TAC) for the NLCA on July 20, 2006. This action is being taken to prevent the scallop fleet from exceeding the YT bycatch TAC allocated to the NLCA for the 2006 scallop fishing year in accordance with the regulations implementing the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP), Northeast (NE) Multispecies FMP and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.