[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 25 (Monday, February 7, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-2640]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 7, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 651

[I.D. 020194]

 

Northeast Multispecies Fishery

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

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

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that, acting on behalf of the Secretary of 
Commerce (Secretary), it has prepared a Secretarial amendment 
(Amendment 6) to the Fishery Management Plan for the Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery (FMP) and is making it available for public review 
and comment. Written comments are requested from the public.

DATES: Written comments on the amendment must be received on or before 
March 26, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Secretarial Amendment/Environmental 
Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review may be obtained from Richard B. 
Roe, Director, Northeast Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
Northeast Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, One 
Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Comments should be sent to the 
same address; please mark the envelope ``Multispecies Secretarial 
Amendment Comments.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Richard Seamans, 508-281-9244.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Amendment 6 was prepared by NMFS under 
authority of section 304(c)(1)(B) of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson Act), which provides for the Secretary to 
prepare an FMP or FMP amendment when the appropriate Council does not 
submit a revised amendment to replace a disapproved portion of an FMP 
amendment. The Secretary does not intend to implement this amendment 
unless absolutely necessary.
    In response to a severely overfished condition of haddock, cod, and 
yellowtail flounder, the Council submitted Amendment 5 to the FMP, 
which was approved January 3, 1994, except for two measures that were 
disapproved on September 30, 1993. The two disapproved measures were a 
5,000-pound (2,268-kg) possession limit for haddock and an exemption to 
the FMP regulations for winter flounder when fishing in state waters. 
The 5,000-pound (2,268-kg) possession limit for haddock was disapproved 
because the Secretary determined it was inadequate to protect haddock 
stocks on the Georges Bank and in the Gulf of Maine, which are at 
historically low levels of abundance.
    An emergency rule was implemented effective from January 3, 1994, 
through April 2, 1994 (59 FR 26, January 3, 1994), that contains the 
following measures: (1) A possession limit for haddock for all vessels 
permitted under the multispecies fishery, except scallop dredge 
vessels, which are prohibited from possessing or landing haddock; (2) a 
closure of the Closed Area II to all vessels except scallop dredge 
vessels and lobster pot vessels from January through May; (3) an 
expansion of Closed Area II by 20 minutes longitude west and 15 minutes 
latitude south, along its western and southern boundaries; (4) a 
suspension of the February through May closure of Closed Area I to all 
vessels except those using sink gillnet gear; (5) a prohibition on 
transfer of fish at sea; and (6) a ban on pair trawling in the 
multispecies fishery.
    Amendment 5 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery was approved on January 3, 1994, and has several 
measures also contained in the emergency rule. Since Amendment 5 is 
scheduled for implementation before the current emergency rule expires 
on April 2, 1994, those measures are not contained in proposed 
Amendment 6. Measures contained in Amendment 5 that are not contained 
in proposed Amendment 6 are: (1) An expansion of the size of Closed 
Area II; (2) a suspension of the closure of Closed Area I to all 
vessels except vessels using sink gillnet gear; (3) a prohibition on 
the transfer of fish at sea; and (4) a ban on pair trawling.
    Proposed Amendment 6 contains two measures: (1) A 500-pound (226.8-
kg) possession limit for haddock, for all vessels permitted under the 
multispecies fishery, except sea scallop dredge vessels which are 
prohibited from possessing or landing haddock, and (2) a closure of 
Closed Area II to all vessels, except lobster pot vessels and scallop 
dredge vessels, from January through June, on an annual basis.
    NMFS is interested in receiving comments on Amendment 6, the EA and 
RIR and will consider all public comments before a decision is made 
whether or not to approve the Amendment. Proposed regulations to 
implement Amendment 6 will be published within 15 days after the 
submission of the amendment to the New England Fishery Management 
Council for its consideration and comment as required under section 
304(c)(2)(A)(iii) of the Magnuson Act.

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

    Dated: February 1, 1994.
David S. Crestin,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-2640 Filed 2-1-94; 4:35 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-M