95-20544. Sea Turtle Conservation; Restrictions Applicable to Shrimp Trawling Activities; Additional Turtle Excluder Device Requirements Within Certain Fishery Statistical Zones  

  • [Federal Register Volume 60, Number 160 (Friday, August 18, 1995)]
    [Proposed Rules]
    [Page 43106]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 95-20544]
    
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
    
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    
    50 CFR Part 227
    
    [I.D. 060195E]
    RIN 0648-AH98
    
    
    Sea Turtle Conservation; Restrictions Applicable to Shrimp 
    Trawling Activities; Additional Turtle Excluder Device Requirements 
    Within Certain Fishery Statistical Zones
    
    AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
    Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
    
    ACTION: Withdrawal of proposed rule.
    
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    SUMMARY: NMFS is withdrawing a proposed rule that would require 
    additional restrictions on shrimp trawlers fishing in waters off Texas. 
    NMFS is withdrawing the rule due to voluntary adoption of gear 
    restrictions, increased law enforcement, and the late re-opening of 
    Texas waters to shrimping.
    
    DATES: This withdrawal of proposed rule is withdrawn on August 18, 
    1995.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles A. Oravetz, 813-570-5312, or 
    Phil Williams, 301-713-1401.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The waters off Texas were closed to shrimp 
    fishing on May 15, 1995, for the annual closure which is coordinated by 
    State and Federal fisheries managers to allow shrimp to grow larger and 
    therefore more valuable. The closure period is usually marked by low 
    levels of sea turtle strandings, and during the 8 weeks of the 1995 
    Texas closure, only 15 sea turtle strandings including 2 Kemp's ridleys 
    were reported on offshore Texas beaches. Due to historical stranding 
    data, however, NMFS anticipated an increase in sea turtle strandings on 
    offshore Texas beaches in the weeks following the re-opening of Texas 
    waters to shrimping. In 1994, 9 dead sea turtles stranded in Texas 
    during the 4 weeks prior to opening, while 99 dead turtles stranded in 
    the 4 weeks following opening. Over the last 5 years, the stranding 
    data indicate that, on average, an eight-fold increase in sea turtle 
    strandings follows the opening of Texas waters to shrimping.
        NMFS therefore issued a proposed rule to implement the gear 
    restrictions identified under the Shrimp Fishery/Emergency Response 
    Plan (60 FR 19885, April 21, 1995) in offshore Texas waters out to 10 
    nm (18.5 km) for a 30-day period after the opening. The proposed rule 
    was published June 16, 1995 (60 FR 31696), with a 2 week-comment 
    period. Three public hearings were held in Texas (June 19, 20, and 26). 
    Over 100 people attended the public hearings, including 29 that gave 
    public testimony. Written comments were received through July 6, 1995. 
    All but four of the comments received during the comment period were in 
    opposition to the proposed rule.
        Taking these comments into account, on July 6, 1995, NMFS decided 
    not to implement a final rule in Texas for three reasons: (1) The 
    apparent willingness of some segments of the industry to voluntarily 
    adopt gear restrictions to reduce sea turtle strandings; (2) the 
    deployment of a special turtle excluder device (TED) law enforcement 
    team and specially trained Coast Guard groups; and (3) the late opening 
    (at least a week later than any opening in the last 5 years) of Texas 
    waters to shrimping, which is anticipated to result in better shrimp 
    catches farther offshore. A news bulletin announcing this decision and 
    asking shrimpers to voluntarily use small try nets and top-opening 
    hard-grid TEDs was widely circulated by NMFS on July 14, 1995.
    
        Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
    
        Dated: August 15, 1995.
    Gary Matlock,
    Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.
    [FR Doc. 95-20544 Filed 8-17-95; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
    
    

Document Information

Published:
08/18/1995
Department:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Entry Type:
Proposed Rule
Action:
Withdrawal of proposed rule.
Document Number:
95-20544
Dates:
This withdrawal of proposed rule is withdrawn on August 18, 1995.
Pages:
43106-43106 (1 pages)
Docket Numbers:
I.D. 060195E
RINs:
0648-AH98
PDF File:
95-20544.pdf
CFR: (1)
50 CFR 227