[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 189 (Thursday, September 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52772-52773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25414]
[[Page 52772]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 091599C ]
National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of
Sharks
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of National Plan of Action Outline and
request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The United States is developing a National Plan of Action
(NPOA) pursuant to the endorsement of the International Plan of Action
(IPOA) for the Conservation and Management of Sharks by the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Committee on Fisheries
(COFI) Ministerial Meeting in March 1999. Noting the increased concern
about the expanding catches of sharks and their potential negative
impacts on shark populations, this IPOA calls on COFI member states to
voluntarily develop national plans to ensure the conservation and
management of sharks for their long-term sustainable use. The United
States has committed to developing this national plan, and reporting on
its implementation to COFI, no later than the 25th COFI
session in February 2001. This document provides a time frame for the
completion of this project and an outline of the contents of this NPOA.
The public is invited to provide written comments and suggestions for
items to be incorporated and addressed within the NPOA. Specifically
the public is encouraged to provide NMFS with comments on the level of
interactions between sharks and U.S. fisherman in the fisheries listed
in the outline or whether the management measures already in place in
these fisheries significantly decrease the occurrence of these
interactions.
DATES: Comments on the Shark NPOA will be accepted from September 30,
1999 through November 1, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Robyn Wingrove, NOAA
Fisheries / SF1, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robyn Wingrove, 301-713-2347, ext.
118, or fax 301-713-1917.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Shark IPOA was endorsed in principle at
the 23rd FAO COFI session in February 1999 and also at the Fisheries
Ministerial in March 1999. As with the two other IPOAs on seabirds and
fishing capacity, the Shark IPOA calls on members to voluntarily
develop an NPOA on this issue. For the purposes of this document, the
term ``shark'' includes all species of sharks, skates, rays, and
chimaeras.
The FAO Fisheries Department will, to the extent directed by its
Conference, support the development and implementation of the Shark
NPOAs through specific, in-country technical assistance projects with
Regular Programme funds and by use of extra-budgetary funds made
available to the Organization for this purpose. FAO will assist its
members by: (1) providing a list of experts and a mechanism of
technical assistance while preparing NPOAs, and (2) assisting in the
reporting process to COFI.
Many measures have already been taken in the United States to
ensure that shark catches from directed and non-directed fisheries are
sustainable as required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). These are entirely
consistent with, and may in some cases exceed, the measures suggested
in the IPOA. The U.S. NPOA is currently under development by NMFS, with
a draft Shark NPOA tentatively due for publication in the Federal
Register in December 1999 and full completion by February 2000.
Written comments on the Shark NPOA are encouraged (see ADDRESSES).
Proposed Schedule
October 1999--Release approved schedule and outline to public via a
Federal Register notice.
November 1999--Collect and incorporate review comments.
December 1999--Release Draft NPOA for public comment.
February 2000--Respond to public comments and release final version
of Shark NPOA.
Proposed Outline of Shark NPOA
Executive Summary
I. Introduction: Description of the Problem
II. History of IPOA and NPOA Process
A. FAO Involvement
B. Delegation of National Authority and Cooperative Efforts
III. Methods Used in NPOA Development Process
A. Role of NMFS Headquarters and Regional Fishery Management
Councils
B. Feedback and Constituent Input Process
IV. Implementation Framework
A. International : Role of Member Countries
B. International: Role of Fisheries Organizations
C. Domestic: Regional Fishery Management Councils, Secretarial
Management, Fishery Management Plans, and Other Regulatory Documents
V. Biological Characteristics: General Overview
VI. Directed and Non-directed Shark Fisheries of the United States:
Descriptions, Regulations, and Current Management, by Fishery
Management Councils(FMC), Secretary of Commerce Management and / or
International Agreements.
A. Directed Fisheries:
1. New England FMC: Dogfish (Fishery Management Plan (FMP));
Atlantic Skate (non FMP)
2. Mid-Atlantic FMC: Dogfish (FMP)
3. Gulf of Mexico FMC: Inshore Coastal Gillnet Fishery (non-FMP)
4. Caribbean FMC: Caribbean Pelagics Fishery (non-FMP)
5. Pacific FMC: Shark/Bonito Longline/Setline Fishery (non FMP);
California Angel Shark/ Halibut and other species Large-Mesh Set Net
Fishery (non-FMP); CA/OR Thresher shark / Swordfish Drift Gillnet
Fishery (non-FMP); OR Blue shark Floating Longline Fishery
6. Western Pacific (WP) FMC:WP Pelagics Fishery (FMP and non-FMP);
WP Coastal Pelagics Fishery (non-FMP)
7. Secretary of Commerce Authority: Atlantic and Gulf Sharks
Fisheries (FMP)
B. Non-Directed Fisheries:
1. New England FMC: Northeast Multispecies Fishery (FMP); Atlantic
Menhaden Purse Seine Fishery (non-FMP); Atlantic Halibut Fishery (non-
FMP); Atlantic Herring Fishery (non-FMP); Weakfish Fishery (non-FMP);
Monkfish(FMP)
2. Mid-Atlantic FMC: Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass Fishery
(FMP); Atlantic Mackerel, Squid and Butterfish Fishery (FMP); Atlantic
Bluefish Fishery (FMP); Tilefish Fishery (non-FMP); Atlantic Menhaden
Purse Seine Fishery (non-FMP); Northern Shrimp Trawl Fishery (non-FMP);
Monkfish Fishery (FMP); Coastal Gillnet Fishery (non-FMP); Mixed
Species Trawl Fishery (non-FMP)
3. South Atlantic FMC: Snapper / Grouper Complex Fishery (FMP),
South Atlantic Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery (FMP); Shrimp Fishery
of the South Atlantic Region (FMP); Coral, Coral Reefs, and Live/Hard
Bottom Habitats (FMP)
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4. Gulf of Mexico FMC: Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery (FMP); Gulf
of Mexico Shrimp Fishery (FMP); Gulf of Mexico Coastal Migratory
Pelagics Fishery (FMP); Mullet Fishery (non-FMP); Coastal Herring Trawl
Fishery (non-FMP); Gulf of Mexico Menhaden Purse Fishery (non-FMP);
Gulf of Mexico Groundfish Fishery (non-FMP); Butterfish Trawl Fishery
(non-FMP); Sardine Purse Seine Fishery (non-FMP); Non-Groundfish
Finfish Fishery(non-FMP); Gulf of Mexico Coastal Migratory Pelagics
Fishery (FMP).
5. Caribbean FMC: Caribbean Shallow Water Reef Fish Fishery (FMP)
6. Pacific FMC: Washington, Oregon, and California Salmon Fishery
(FMP); West Coast Groundfish Fishery (FMP); Pacific Shrimp/Prawn
Fishery (non-FMP); California Halibut Trawl and Trammel Net Fishery
(non-FMP); Pacific Halibut (non FMP); Pacific Albacore, Other Tuna Hook
and Line Fishery (non-FMP); Pacific Yellowfin, Skipjack Tuna, Purse
Seine Fishery (non-FMP); Coastal Pelagics Fishery (FMP).
7. North Pacific FMC: Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Groundfish
Fishery (FMP); Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Fishery (FMP); Octopus / Squid
Longline Fishery (non-FMP); Alaska High Seas Salmon Fishery (FMP);
Alaska Salmon Fishery (non-FMP); Finfish Purse Seine Fishery (non-FMP);
Finfish Handline/Hook and Line Fishery (non-FMP)
8. Western Pacific (WP) FMC: WP Bottomfish/Seamount Groundfish
Fishery (FMP); WP Pacific Shallow Reef Fishery (non-FMP)
9. Secretary of Commerce Control: Atlantic Tunas, and Swordfish
Fisheries (FMP) C. International Fisheries Agreements
1. International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
(ICCAT)
2. International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)
3. Latin America Organization for Fishery Development (OLDEPESCA)
4. Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO)
5. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)
6. South Pacific Commission (SPC)
VII. References
VIII. Appendices
A. International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management
of Sharks
B. 1998 Report of the Stock Evaluation Workshop
C. NMFS National Bycatch Plan, Executive Summary
D. Summary of Magnuson-Stevens Act
E. NMFS Regional Science Center and Management Council Contact
Information
Dated: September 27, 1999.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-25414 Filed 9-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
