Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Termination of Expansion of Emergency Fishery Closure Due to the Presence of the Toxin that Causes Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning

NMFS is announcing the termination of the revised and expanded Northern Temporary Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) Closure Area, which became effective on July 2, 2008, and the return of the Northern and Southern Temporary PSP Closure Areas to their boundaries, previously implemented on January 1, 2008, and effective through December 31, 2008. Thus, the effect of this notice will be to partially reopen a large area around Nantucket Island to the harvest of certain shellfish species. Regulations governing fishery closures in response to public health threats require concurrence with the Secretary of Health and Human Services prior to any NMFS action on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary).