[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 33 (Friday, February 16, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6230-6231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3552]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 651
[I.D. 021296E]
Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Notice of Availability of
Amendment 7
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of an amendment to a fishery management
plan and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice that the New England Fishery
Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 7 to the Fishery
Management Plan for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery (FMP) for
Secretarial review and is requesting comments from the public. This
amendment contains a series of management measures designed to rebuild
overfished stocks of groundfish, especially cod, haddock and yellowtail
flounder. Copies of the amendment may be obtained from the Council (see
ADDRESSES).
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 11, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Dr. Andrew A. Rosenberg, Regional Director,
National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Regional Office, 1
Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-3799. Mark the outside of the
envelope ``Comments on Amendment 7 to the Northeast Multispecies
Plan.''
Copies of proposed Amendment 7, its Regulatory Impact Review (RIR)
and the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis contained within the
RIR, and the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement are
available from Douglas Marshall, Executive Director, New England
Fishery Management Council, Suntaug Office Park, 5 Broadway (U.S. Rte.
1), Saugus, MA 01906-1097.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan A. Murphy, Fishery Policy
Analyst, 508-281-9252.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson Act) (16 U.S.C 1801 et seq.) requires each
regional fishery management council to submit any fishery management
plan or plan amendment it prepares to the Secretary of Commerce
(Secretary) for review and approval or disapproval. The Magnuson Act
also requires the Secretary, upon receiving the plan or amendment, to
immediately publish a notice that the plan or amendment is available
for public review and comment. The Secretary will consider the public
comments in determining whether to approve the plan or amendment.
Proposed measures in the amendment include: (1) A procedure for
setting annual target total allowable catch levels for regulated
species; (2) an acceleration of the current days-at-sea effort
reduction program; (3) elimination of current exemptions to the effort
control program; (4) new closed areas; (5) a restriction on large mesh
fisheries with more than a minimal bycatch of regulated species in the
Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank and Southern New England regulated mesh
areas; (6) a cod, haddock and yellowtail flounder possession limit
restriction for vessels less than 30 ft (9.14 m); (7) establishment of
the current experimental Nantucket Shoals dogfish fishery on a
permanent basis; (8) modification to permit categories and qualifying
criteria; (9) restrictions on charter/party and recreational vessels;
and (10) revision and expansion of the existing framework provisions.
Many of the current provisions to the FMP will be retained as the basic
structure for the regulatory program.
NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary, disapproved three measures in
[[Page 6231]]
Amendment 7 before publishing the notice of availability as authorized
under section 304(a)(1)(A) of the Magnuson Act. These measures include:
(1) The additional allowance of days-at-sea (DAS) for trawl vessels
enrolled in the Individual DAS category that use 8-inch (20-cm) mesh,
(2) the 300-lb (136-kg) possession allowance of regulated species for
trawl vessels that use an 8-inch (20-cm) mesh in an exempted fishery,
and (3) the establishment of a limited access category for vessels that
fished in the Possession Limit Open Access category under Amendment 5.
Day 1 of this amendment is February 12, 1996. Proposed regulations
to implement this amendment are scheduled to be published within 15
days of this date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 12, 1996.
Richard H. Schaefer,
Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-3552 Filed 2-13-96; 1:09 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
