[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 213 (Wednesday, November 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59545-59546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29522]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D.102898A]
Caribbean Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
[[Page 59546]]
ACTION: Notice of public hearings.
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SUMMARY: The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold
public hearings on its Draft Comprehensive Amendment Addressing
Sustainable Fisheries Act Requirements, Including Overfishing
Definitions (draft Comprehensive SFA Amendment).
DATES: The public hearings will be held on November 6 and November 10,
1998, from 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. Written comments on the draft
Comprehensive SFA Amendment will be accepted through November 11, 1998.
ADDRESSES: The hearings will be held in the U.S. Virgin Islands and in
Puerto Rico. For specific hearing locations and times, see
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. Copies of the Council's draft Comprehensive
SFA Amendment can be obtained by calling the Council at (787) 766-5926;
copies will be available at the hearings. Written comments on the draft
Comprehensive SFA Amendment should be sent to the Caribbean Fishery
Management Council, 268 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, San Juan,
Puerto Rico 00918-2577; telephone: 787-766-5926; fax: 787-766-6239.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caribbean Fishery Management Council,
268 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918-2577;
telephone: 787-766-5926; fax: 787-766-6239.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 (SFA)
amended the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
(Magnuson-Stevens Act) to require certain changes in the contents of
the fishery management plans (FMPs) prepared by regional fishery
management councils. Under the procedures of the Magnuson-Stevens Act,
the Council has prepared FMPs for reef fish, spiny lobster, coral, and
queen conch; these FMPs have been approved by NMFS and implemented
through final regulations. The Council's draft Comprehensive SFA
Amendment amends its FMPs to comply with aforementioned new
requirements regarding FMP contents established in 1996.
The draft Comprehensive SFA Amendment contains new discussions on
the status of the fisheries managed under the FMPs, on bycatch, and on
recreational fishing. It also contains overfishing definitions and
stock rebuilding plans for overfished species. Specifically, it
includes the following overfishing definition for the red hind
(Epinephelus guttatus):
A red hind stock is overfished when it is below the level of 45
percent of the spawning stock biomass per recruit that would occur
in the absence of fishing. When a red hind stock is overfished,
overfishing is defined as harvesting at a rate that is not
consistent with a program that has been established to rebuild the
stock to the 45 percent spawning stock biomass per recruit level.
When a red hind stock is not overfished, overfishing is defined as a
harvesting rate that, if continued, would lead to a state of the
stock or stock complex that would not at least allow a harvest of OY
(optimum yield) on a continuing basis.
This definition may be expanded to include the grouper complex.
There is no new information available to the Council regarding the
status of other Caribbean fishery stocks. Because the Comprehensive SFA
Amendment contains no management measures, no implementing regulations
will be required.
The Council hearings will be held at the following locations and
times:
Friday, November 6, 1998, from 7-10 p.m., at the Conference Room of
the Best Western Pierre Hotel, De Diego Avenue, Santurce, Puerto Rico;
and
Tuesday, November 10, 1998, from 7-10 p.m., at the Conference Room
of the Caravelle Hotel, located at 44A Queen Cross St., Christiansted,
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Fishers and other interested persons are invited to attend these
hearings and participate through oral and/or written statements
regarding issues concerning the Comprehensive SFA Amendment.
Special Accommodations
These hearings are open to the public and will be conducted in
English. The hearings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. For more information or requests for sign language
interpretation or other auxiliary aids, please contact Mr. Miguel A.
Rolon at the Council at least 5 days prior to the meeting dates (see
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Dated: October 29, 1998.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-29522 Filed 10-30-98; 3:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
