Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Commercial Fishing Operations; Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Regulations; Remove and Reserve Gear Marking Requirements for Northeast U.S. Fisheries

Zusammenfassung

This final rule removes and reserves the northeast U.S. fisheries gear marking requirements implementing the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP). These requirements were suspended until November 1, 2000. It was the agency's intent to extend that suspension indefinitely until a modified gear marking program is implemented. Because of a delay in preparing an extension of the suspension, these gear marking requirements inadvertently went into effect. The intent of this action is to remove the existing requirements.