Fishery conservation and management: Northeastern United States fisheries— Summer flounder, et al.,

[Federal Register: January 27, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 17)]

[Proposed Rules]

[Page 4065]

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

[DOCID:fr27ja99-13]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 011499B]

RIN 0648-AL73

Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries; Atlantic Mackerel, Squids, and Butterfish Fisheries; and Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of amendments to three fishery management plans; request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 12 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries; Amendment 8 to the FMP for the Atlantic Mackerel, Squids, and Butterfish Fisheries; and Amendment 12 to the FMP for the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries, for review by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) and is requesting comments from the public. These amendments are intended to meet the requirements of the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), as amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act of October 1996 (SFA).

DATES: Comments on the amendments must be received on or before March 29, 1999. ADDRESSES: Send comments to Jon C. Rittgers, Acting Regional Administrator, Northeast Regional Office, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-3799. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments on the Mid-Atlantic SFA Amendments.''

Copies of the proposed amendments, the Environmental Assessments (EA), the regulatory impact reviews (RIR), and other supporting documents are available from Daniel Furlong, Executive Director, Mid- Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Room 2115 Federal Building, 300 S. New Street, Dover, DE 19904-6790.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Regina L. Spallone, Fishery Policy Analyst, 978-281-9221.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Council has submitted three amendments that are intended to bring the aforementioned FMPs into compliance with the SFA requirements. The SFA revised significantly several of the national standards and added three new standards regarding impacts on fishing communities (national standard 8), minimizing bycatch (national standard 9), and promoting safety at sea (national standard 10). In addition, the SFA requires the Councils to identify and to describe essential fish habitat (EFH) for the species managed.

The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that each regional fishery management council submit any fishery management plan or amendment it prepares to the Secretary for review. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires that the Secretary, upon receiving the plan or amendment for review, immediately make a preliminary evaluation of whether the amendment is sufficient to warrant continued review and publish notification that the plan or amendment is available for public review and comment. The Secretary will consider the public comments in determining whether to approve the plan or amendment.

The amendments to the FMPs, if approved, would revise overfishing definitions, describe and identify EFH, implement a framework adjustment process for amending management measures for these fisheries in the future, limit the size of domestic harvesting vessels permitted in the Atlantic mackerel fishery, and implement an operator permit requirement for the surfclam and ocean quahog fishery.

A proposed rule that would implement the amendments has been submitted for Secretarial review and approval. NMFS expects to publish and request public comment on proposed regulations to implement the amendments in the near future. Public comments on the proposed rule must be received by the end of the comment period on the amendments in order to be considered in the approval/disapproval decision on the amendments to the FMPs. All comments received by March 29, 1999, whether specifically directed to the amendments 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 amendments.

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

Dated: January 21, 1999. Bruce Morehead, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 99-1876Filed1-26-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-F