[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 24 (Friday, February 4, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-2502]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 4, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 625

[I.D. 013194A]

 

Summer Flounder Fishery

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of a fishery management plan amendment 
and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice that the Mid-Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 6 to the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Summer Flounder Fishery (FMP) for review by the 
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) and is requesting comments from the 
public.

DATES: Written comments on Amendment 6 must be received on or before 
March 31, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed to Richard B. Roe, 
Regional Director, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast 
Regional Office, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-3799. Mark 
the outside of the envelope ``Comments on Summer Flounder Plan''.
    Copies of the amendment are available from David R. Keifer, 
Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, room 2115, 
Federal Building, 300 S. New Street, Dover, DE 19901-6790.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Myles Raizin, Resource Policy Analyst, 508-281-9104.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) (Magnuson Act) requires that 
each regional fishery management council submit any fishery management 
plan or plan amendment it prepares to the Secretary for review and 
approval, disapproval, or partial disapproval. The Magnuson Act also 
requires that the Secretary, upon receiving the plan or amendment, must 
immediately publish a notice that it is available for public review and 
comment. The Secretary will consider the public comments in determining 
whether to approve, disapprove, or partially disapprove the FMP 
amendment.
    Current regulations prohibit otter trawl vessels retaining 100 
pounds or more of summer flounder between May 1 and October 31, or 200 
pounds or more of summer flounder between November 1 and April 30, and 
having any net, or any piece of net not meeting the minimum mesh size 
requirements on board. Amendment 6 would allow nets not meeting the 
minimum mesh size to be on board a vessel even if the above thresholds 
are exceeded, provided the nets are appropriately stowed. Once the 
threshold amounts of summer flounder are retained, nets that do not 
meet the minimum mesh size requirements could not be used for the 
remainder of the fishing trip.
    The proposed amendment would also modify the schedule for 
establishing the annual management measures for the recreational 
fishery for summer flounder. The regulations setting the recreational 
possession limit would be revised to allow the measure to be set later 
in the year to provide an opportunity to review data from the previous 
year. The timing provisions would be revised to require the Regional 
Director to publish the proposed commercial quota and other measures by 
October 15 and the proposed recreational measures by February 15 of the 
year for which the specifications are being proposed.
    Amendment 6 would also clarify the language prohibiting twisted 
mesh, authorize an experimental fishery under certain conditions, and 
make the definition of a fish box consistent with that in the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery.
    Regulations proposed by the Council and based on this amendment are 
scheduled to be published within 15 days.

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

    Dated: January 31, 1994.
Davis S. Crestin,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-2502 Filed 1-31-94; 4:31 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-M