Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery

This final rule reopens an additional portion of the Georges Bank Closed Area to the harvest of Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs. This final rule follows up on a preceding interim final rule that was published in the Federal Register on December 19, 2012. The previous interim final rule reopened a portion of the Georges Bank Closed Area that had been closed to the harvest of Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs since 1990 due to the presence of toxins known to cause paralytic shellfish poisoning. However, the area reopened in the interim final rule was reduced in size from the area identified in the proposed rule. Based on comments received on the interim final rule and requests from the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, this final rule will reopen an additional portion of the Georges Bank Closed Area.