Endangered Fish or Wildlife; Special Prohibitions; North Atlantic Right Whale Protection

NMFS issues this final rule to close the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Coastal segments of the Atlantic pelagic drift gillnet fishery for swordfish, tuna, and shark through July 31, 1998. The swordfish portion of the Atlantic pelagic drift gillnet fishery has been closed since December 5, 1996, under an emergency Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act closure that expires on November 26, 1997. This action is necessary to avoid the likelihood that this fishery will jeopardize the continued existence of the northern right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), a species listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), until more long-term regulatory measures are issued.