Fishery conservation and management: Northeastern United States fisheries— Atlantic sea scallop,

[Federal Register: November 18, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 222)]

[Proposed Rules]

[Page 64032-64033]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr18no98-29]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 110998F]

RIN 0648-AJ33

Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan; Amendments to Address the Sustainable Fisheries Act Requirements and Other Measures

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of an amendment to a fishery management plan; request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (Amendment 7) for Secretarial review and is requesting comments from the public. Included in Amendment 7 are the new Sustainable Fisheries Act requirements for Atlantic sea scallops.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 19, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed amendment should be sent to Jon C. Rittgers, Acting Regional Administrator, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope, ``Comments on Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP.''

Copies of Amendment 7, its regulatory impact review, initial regulatory flexibility analysis, the final supplemental environmental impact statement, and the supporting documents for Amendment 7 are available from Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906-1036.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul H. Jones, Fishery Policy Analyst, 978-281-9273.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Amendment 7 proposes to: (1) Establish a 10- year stock rebuilding schedule; (2) initiate a new overfishing definition and rebuilding target for Atlantic sea scallops; (3) revise the specification of optimum yield; (4) continue the Mid-Atlantic closed areas, with a sunset date of March 1, 2001; (5) implement a system for closing and opening areas to improve yield per recruit; (6) establish an annual monitoring and adjustment

[[Page 64033]]

system to ensure stock rebuilding; and (7) add measures to those that the Council may implement through the framework adjustment process.

A proposed rule that would implement Amendment 7 may be published in the Federal Register for public comment, following NMFS' evaluation of the proposed rule under the procedures of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Public comments on the proposed rule must be received by the end of the comment period on Amendment 7 to be considered in the approval/disapproval decision on the FMP amendment. All comments received by January 19, 1999, whether specifically directed to the FMP amendment or the proposed rule, will be considered in the approval/disapproval decision. Comments received after that date will not be considered in the approval/disapproval decision on the FMP amendment.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: November 12, 1998. Gary C. Matlock, Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98-30836Filed11-17-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-F

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