[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 76 (Tuesday, April 20, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21089-21090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-8766]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 122203A]
RIN 0648-AN17
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast (NE)
Multispecies Fishery; Amendment 13
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of partial approval of a fishery management plan
amendment.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that Amendment 13 to the NE Multispecies
Fishery Management Plan (Amendment 13) has been partially approved by
NMFS, acting on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce. Amendment 13 was
developed by the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) to
end overfishing and rebuild NE multispecies (groundfish) stocks managed
under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act, and to make other changes in the management of the
groundfish fishery. The intent of this announcement is to inform the
public of the partial approval of Amendment 13 and of the availability
of the Record of Decision (ROD) for Amendment 13 in compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
DATES: Amendment 13 was partially approved on March 18, 2004.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Warren, Fishery Policy Analyst,
978-281-9347, fax: 978-281-9135; email: [email protected]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS intends to comply with a Court-ordered
implementation of Amendment 13 through publication of a final rule in
the Federal Register by May 1, 2004.
A proposed rule to implement Amendment 13 published in the Federal
Register on January 29, 2004 (69 FR 4362), with public comment ending
on February 27, 2004. A total of 4,941 comments were received on
Amendment 13. A summary of the comments received and NMFS's responses
will be published in the final rule.
On March 18, 2004, NMFS approved all measures in Amendment 13 with
the exception of the following proposed measures, which have been
disapproved: 1) The Closed Area (CA) II Haddock Special Access Program
(SAP) and the CA I Hook Gear Haddock SAP; 2) the prohibition on
surfclam and ocean quahog dredge gear in NE multispecies closed areas
(the result of this disapproval is that such gear will be allowed in
the groundfish closure portion of the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area,
the Western Gulf of Maine (WGOM) Closure Area, and the Cashes Ledge
Closure Area); 3) the exemption for shrimp trawl gear in the WGOM
Closure Area; 4) the abbreviated process to implement SAPs; 5) the
Georges Bank Cod Trip Limit Program; and 6) the removal of the Flexible
Area Action System. A full explanation of the reasons for disapproval
will be included
[[Page 21090]]
in the final rule implementing Amendment 13.
NMFS is under a Court-ordered deadline to implement Amendment 13 by
May 1, 2004. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004 (Division H,
Section 105), however, prohibited NMFS from expending funds to
implement the Amendment during this fiscal year. However, on April 13,
2004, President Bush signed into law H.R. 2584, which contains a
provision repealing Section 105 of division H of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2004, thus enabling NMFS to implement Amendment
13 and publish the final rule. NMFS will publish the final rule in the
Federal Register in the near future.
In addition, the public is informed that the ROD for Amendment 13
in compliance with NEPA is available on the NMFS, Northeast Fisheries
Science Center's website: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/groundfish/#mg
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 14, 2004.
John Oliver,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-8766 Filed 4-15-04; 3:35 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
