[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 8672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4657]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 630
[I.D. 010897A]
RIN 0648-AE09
Atlantic Swordfish Fisheries; Notice of Availability of Amendment
1
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; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Highly Migratory Species Division has
submitted Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic
Swordfish (FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS.
Written comments are requested from the public. Amendment 1 would
implement limited access measures for the Atlantic swordfish fisheries.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 28, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to William Hogarth, Acting Chief, Highly
Migratory Species Management Division (F/SF1), NMFS, 1315 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Requests for copies of Amendment 1,
which includes an environmental assessment and a regulatory impact
review, should be sent to James Chambers, Fishery Management
Specialist, Highly Migratory Species Management Division (F/SF1), NMFS,
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Chambers or John Kelly, 301-713-
2347; fax: 301-713-1917.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic swordfish fishery is managed
under the FMP and its implementing regulations found at 50 CFR part 630
and issued under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act)(16 U.S.C. 1801
et seq.) and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA) (16 U.S.C. 971 et
seq.). Regulations issued under the authority of ATCA carry out the
recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of
Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The FMP was implemented on September 18, 1985.
If approved, Amendment 1 would redefine permits as directed or
incidental, develop eligibility criteria for these permits based on
historical participation, and specify rules for transferability of
permits. NMFS has determined that the Atlantic swordfish fishery is
overfished and overcapitalized, with an excessive number of permitted
vessels relative to the harvest level prescribed by ICCAT. The
objective of this Amendment is to take a first and significant step
towards reducing fleet capacity to levels more closely aligned with
resource production by implementing limited access, substantially
reducing latent harvesting capacity, and implementing measures to
prevent further overcapitalization while allowing traditional hand-gear
fishers to participate fully as the stock recovers.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. and 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.
Dated: February 19, 1997.
Rolland A. Schmitten,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-4657 Filed 2-20-97; 2:46 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
