99-9726. Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Applications for Experimental Fishing Permits

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 74 (Monday, April 19, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 19111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9726]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 600 and 648

[I.D. 040999B]


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic 
Fisheries; Applications for Experimental Fishing Permits

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notification of experimental fishery proposal; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Regional Administrator, Northeast 
Region, NMFS, is considering approval of an experimental fishing 
proposal that would permit vessels to conduct operations otherwise 
restricted by regulations governing the Fisheries of the Northeastern 
United States, 50 CFR part 648. The experimental fishery would involve 
fishing for, retention, and landing of Atlantic sea scallops with 
modified dredge gear in the Georges Bank and Nantucket Lightship Closed 
Areas. Regulations implementing the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act provisions require publication of this 
notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment 
on the proposed experimental fishery.

DATES: Comments on this document must be received by May 4, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Jon Rittgers, Acting Regional 
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark on the outside of the envelope: ``Comments 
on Proposed Scallop Experimental Fishery.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Gouveia, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center 
(NEFSC) submitted an application on April 12, 1999, to map the 
distribution and estimate the abundance of Atlantic sea scallops, and 
to determine the rate and distribution of finfish and invertebrate 
bycatches to sea scallop dredges in portions of the Georges Bank and 
Nantucket Lightship Closed Areas. The proposed experimental fishery 
would also provide information on the potential habitat effects of the 
use of scallop fishing gear in these areas and test new gear designs to 
reduce finfish bycatch rates.
    The NEFSC would conduct experimental fishing activities with three 
commercial vessels federally permitted with a limited access Atlantic 
sea scallop permit. Vessels interested in participating in this 
experiment would be chosen by a lottery system administered by the NMFS 
Northeast Regional Office. Exempted fishing permits would be issued to 
the participating vessels to exempt them from closed areas and gear 
restrictions contained in the regulations implementing the Northeast 
Multispecies and Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plans.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: April 13, 1999.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-9726 Filed 4-16-99; 8:45 am]
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