Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Prohibition on the Possession of Yellowtail Flounder in the U.S./Canada Management Area

NMFS announces that 100 percent of the Georges Bank (GB) yellowtail flounder Total Allowable Catch (TAC) has been harvested, and that the Administrator, Northeast (NE) Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is prohibiting the harvest, possession, and landing of GB yellowtail flounder by all federally permitted vessels within the entire U.S./Canada Management Area, and maintaining the Eastern U.S./ Canada Area closure to limited access NE multispecies days-at-sea (DAS) vessels for the remainder of the 2007 fishing year (through April 30, 2008). This action is being taken under the authority of the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), is required by the regulations implementing Amendment 13 to the NE Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and is intended to prevent over-harvest of the TAC for GB yellowtail flounder during the 2007 fishing year.