Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery; Closure of the Eastern U.S./Canada Area

NMFS announces a temporary closure of the Eastern U.S./Canada Area to limited access NE multispecies days-at-sea (DAS) vessels. Based upon Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) reports and other available information, the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) has projected that 100 percent of the total allowable catch (TAC) of Georges Bank (GB) cod allocated to be harvested from the Eastern U.S./Canada Area would be harvested by July 12, 2007, if current catch rates continue. This action is being taken to prevent the 2007 TAC for GB cod in the Eastern U.S./Canada Area from being exceeded during the 2007 fishing year, and to minimize the impacts of discards of undersized haddock, in accordance with the regulations implemented under Amendment 13 to the NE Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. This area will be reopened at a later date during the 2007 fishing year to provide access to the shared U.S./Canada Stocks of cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder, if NMFS determines that the area can be reopened without exceeding the GB cod TAC for the 2007 fishing year.