[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 169 (Thursday, August 29, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 45395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22042]
[[Page 45395]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[I.D. 082096D]
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Queen Conch Resources of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of a fishery management plan; request
for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Caribbean Fishery Management Council
(Council) has submitted the Fishery Management Plan for Queen Conch
Resources of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (FMP) for review,
approval, and implementation by NMFS. Written comments are requested
from the public.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 18, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Comments must be mailed to the Southeast Regional Office,
NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive N., St. Petersburg, FL 33702.
Requests for copies of the FMP, which includes a regulatory impact
review, an initial regulatory flexibility analysis, a social impact
assessment, and a final environmental impact statement, should be sent
to the Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 268 Munoz Rivera Avenue,
Suite 1108, San Juan, PR 00918-2577, telephone 787-766-5926, FAX 787-
766-6239.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Georgia Cranmore, 813-570-5305.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson Act) requires that a council-prepared fishery
management plan (plan) be submitted to NMFS for review and approval,
disapproval, or partial disapproval. The Magnuson Act also requires
that NMFS, upon receiving a plan, immediately publish notification that
it is available for public review and comment.
The FMP would: (1) Require that a Caribbean conch resource be
landed in its shell; (2) prohibit the possession or sale of queen conch
less than 9 inches (22.9 cm) in total length and less than 3/8 inch
(9.5 mm) in lip width at its widest point; (3) establish a recreational
daily bag limit of 3 queen conch per person, or 12 queen conch per boat
if more than 4 persons are aboard; (4) establish a daily harvest limit
of 150 queen conch per licensed commercial fisherman; (5) prohibit
taking of queen conch from July 1 through September 30; and (6)
prohibit the taking of queen conch by diving while using a device that
provides a continuous air supply from the surface. The FMP and its
implementing rule should rebuild the overfished queen conch resources
by protecting the spawning stock and reducing fishing effort. Proposed
regulations to implement the FMP are scheduled for publication within
15 days.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 23, 1996.
Richard H. Schaefer,
Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-22042 Filed 8-26-96; 4:12 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
