[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 139 (Thursday, July 18, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 37436-37437]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-18190]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[I.D. 070996A]
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Public hearings; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold public
hearings to allow for input on Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management
Plan for the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries (FMP).
The hearings will be tape recorded with the tapes filed as the official
transcript of the hearings.
DATES: Written comments will be accepted through August 1, 1996. The
hearings are scheduled as follows:
1. July 29, 1996, 7 p.m., Warwick, RI.
2. July 29, 1996, 7 p.m., Virginia Beach, VA.
3. July 30, 1996, 7:30 p.m., Long Island, Riverhead, NY.
4. July 31, 1996, 7 p.m., Cape May Courthouse, NJ.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to: David R. Keifer, Executive Director, Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Room 2115 Federal Building, 300
South New Street, Dover, DE 19904. The hearings will be held at the
following locations:
1. Warwick--Holiday Inn at the Crossings, 801 Greenwich Avenue,
Warwick, RI
2. Virginia Beach--Days Inn, 5708 Northampton Boulevard, Virginia
Beach, VA
3. Long Island, Riverhead--Ramada East End, Exit 72 L.I.E. and
Route 25, Long Island, Riverhead, NY
[[Page 37437]]
4. Cape May Courthouse--Cape May Extension Office, Dennisville
Road, Cape May Courthouse, NJ
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David R. Keifer, (302) 674-2331.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Amendments 2 through 5 to the FMP, as
adopted by the Council and approved by NMFS, established procedures for
setting annual catch specifications for Atlantic mackerel, Loligo
squid, Illex squid, and butterfish, required that commercial vessels
and party and charter boats obtain permits, established overfishing
definitions for the four species, established policies related to the
foreign fishery and joint ventures, eliminated foreign fisheries for
butterfish and the squids, implemented moratoria on entry of additional
vessels into the squid and butterfish fisheries, allowed for seasonal
quotas in the Loligo fishery, implemented a minimum mesh net in the
Loligo fishery, and developed a dealer and vessel reporting system.
The management measures for Amendment 6 adopted by the Council for
hearings are:
1. Revised overfishing definitions for Illex and Loligo squid and
Atlantic butterfish.
2. Provision for NMFS to close the U.S. directed fishery for
Loligo, Illex, or butterfish when U.S. fishermen have harvested 95
percent of the allowable domestic annual harvest (DAH) if such closure
is necessary to prevent DAH from being exceeded.
3. The Director, Northeast Region, NMFS, may impose season closures
in the Illex fishery to improve yield per recruit from the fishery,
based upon the recommendation of the Council. This may include delaying
the opening of the directed Illex fishery if substantial increases in
yield will result from such closures.
The public hearings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to David R. Keifer (see ADDRESSES) at
least 5 days prior to the hearing dates.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: July 12, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-18190 Filed 7-17-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
