[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 28 (Thursday, February 10, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-3007]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 10, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 651

[Docket No. 940232-4032; I.D. 020494A]

 

Northeast Multispecies Fishery

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

ACTION: Notification of Flexible Area Action System #7.

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SUMMARY: NOAA issues this notice to inform the public and the fishing 
industry that the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is 
considering Flexible Area Action System #7 under Amendment 3 to the 
Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The purpose of 
the action would be to protect substantial concentrations of spawning 
haddock (with a large percentage of females full of roe) from being 
disturbed or caught and wastefully discarded at sea. This situation 
presents a hazard to haddock spawning success as well as significant 
wasted haddock mortality.

DATES: Comments on this proposed action must be received by February 
24, 1994. The Council's Multispecies Committee will hold a hearing on 
February 24, 1994, at 10 AM.

ADDRESSES: Send comments on this proposed action, the fact-finding 
report and the Council's impact analysis to Richard B. Roe, Regional 
Director, National Marine Fisheries Service, One Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930.
    Copies of the NMFS Northeast Regional Director's (Regional 
Director) fact-finding report and the Council's impact analysis will be 
available on February 18, 1994, upon request from Douglas G. Marshall, 
Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council, 5 Broadway 
(Route 1), Saugus, MA 01960.
    The public hearing will be held at the King's Grant Inn, Danvers, 
Massachusetts in conjunction with a meeting of the Committee to solicit 
comments on the proposed action.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
E. Martin Jaffe, NMFS, Fishery Policy Analyst, 508-281-9272.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is taken under 50 CFR 651.26 as 
established by Amendment 3 to the FMP. Amendment 3 was approved by the 
Secretary of Commerce on November 24, 1989, and published on December 
22, 1989 (54 FR 52803), with the regulations effective on December 19, 
1989. Section 651.26 specifies a Flexible Area Action System (FAAS) 
whereby protection can be provided to concentrations of juvenile, sub-
legal or spawning fish. As part of this process, the Regional Director 
will initiate a fact-finding investigation of the alleged problem. The 
Council will also provide an impact analysis of alternative measures 
that might be implemented under this action.

    The Council's Multispecies Committee (Committee) received a sea 
sampler's report that excessive by-catches of spawning haddock were 
occurring in Area I off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. To determine the 
extent of the problem and whether it is appropriate to take action, the 
Committee has initiated this action.

Potential Area Affected

    (1) The potential area of the proposed action that could be 
affected includes part or all of Area 1, defined at 50 CFR 651.21(a)(1) 
and encompassed by lines connecting the following points: (a) 
40 deg.53' N. Latitude, 68 deg.53' W. Longitude; (b) 41 deg.35' N. 
Latitude, 68 deg.30' W. Longitude; (c) 41 deg.50' N. Latitude, 
68 deg.45' W. Longitude; (d) 41 deg.50' N. Latitude, 69 deg.00' W. 
Longitude; (e) 41 deg.30' N. Latitude, 69 deg.00' W. Longitude; (f) 
41 deg.30' N. Latitude, 69 deg.23' W. Longitude, and (a) 40 deg.53' N. 
Latitude, 68 deg.53' W. Longitude.
    (2) The principal species that could be affected by any action 
would be haddock and Atlantic cod, primarily, and any other groundfish 
species where fisheries for them are forced to move to other areas for 
the period of a closure.
    (3) The types of gear that could be affected by this action are all 
types of gear capable of catching groundfish, including, but not 
limited to, otter trawls, sink gillnets, hook gear, traps and any other 
gear types directed at haddock or that catch haddock in the area 
defined as a result of the fact-finding.
    (4) The fisheries that potentially would be impacted are the 
commercial and recreational groundfish fisheries that operate in the 
area of the proposed action and use the gear types listed above.
    (5) The principal ports that would be affected are Portland, Maine, 
Gloucester, Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, New Bedford/
Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and Galilee, Rhode Island. Some smaller ports 
could also be impacted.
    (6) The expected duration of the action is as long as 180 days. If 
implemented as early as March 1, 1994, the action could last until 
August 28, 1994.
    (7) The Committee expects to recommend that those areas that are 
determined to have significant concentrations of spawning haddock be 
closed to fishing with the types of gear described in (3) above.
    Other actions which might be considered are implementation of any 
measures currently listed in the Northeast Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan and its implementing regulations, e.g., a minimum mesh 
size.
    (8) The Council will begin analyzing the potential impacts from 
possible action upon publication of this notice.
    (9) The Council's impact analysis will be available on February 18, 
1994.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 651

    Fisheries, Fishing, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, 
Vessel permits and fees.

    Dated: February 4, 1994.
Richard H. Schaefer,
Director of Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-3007 Filed 2-4-94; 4:50 pm]
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