[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 199 (Monday, October 17, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-25583]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: October 17, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 285 and 678

[I.D. 091494B]

 

Atlantic Shark and Tuna Fisheries

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

ACTION: Public hearings and scoping meetings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS has held 14 combination public hearing and scoping 
meetings to receive comments from fishery participants and other 
members of the public on bluefin tuna, yellowfin and other tuna, and 
Atlantic shark management issues. The purpose of this document is to 
notify the public of additional hearings to continue public 
participation in the management process.

DATES: Hearings and meetings are scheduled as follows:
    1. October 25, 1994, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Ocean City, MD
    2. October 27, 1994, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Barnegat Light, NJ
    3. November 2, 1994, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Portsmouth, NH (see 
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION for the times of the fishery topics). Written 
comments on the issues must be submitted on or before November 22, 
1994.

ADDRESSES: The hearing and meetings will be held in the following 
locations:
    1. Ocean City-City Hall (Council Chambers), 3rd and Baltimore 
Streets, Ocean City, MD 21842
    2. Barnegat Light-Barnegat Light Firehouse, 10th and Boulevard 
Streets, Barnegat Light, NJ 08006
    3. Portsmouth-Urban Forestry Center, 43 Elwyn Road, Portsmouth, NH 
03801-5701
    Written comments should be sent to Richard H. Schaefer, Director, 
Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management (F/CM), National Marine 
Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. 
Clearly mark the outside of the envelope ``Atlantic Tuna Comments'' 
and/or ``Shark Comments''.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John D. Kelly for Atlantic tunas or 
general information, telephone: 301-713-2347, fax: 301-713-0596; C. 
Michael Bailey for sharks, telephone: 301-713-2347, fax: 301-713-0596.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico 
shark fisheries are managed under authority of the Magnuson Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). Fishing by 
U.S. vessels is governed by regulations implementing the fishery 
management plan (FMP) at 50 CFR part 678. The Atlantic tuna fisheries 
are managed under regulations at 50 CFR part 285 implementing the 
Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.), regulating the 
harvest of Atlantic tunas by persons and vessels subject to U.S. 
jurisdiction.
    Issues for each combination meeting are:
    1. Public hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) for Atlantic bluefin tuna.
    2. Scoping meeting on the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery quota 
adjustments, allocation by user group, delayed season, moratorium on 
entry, and other issues.
    3. Scoping meeting on the other Atlantic tunas, including 
permitting and reporting requirements for dealers and fishermen, 
changes in minimum size, catch levels, and special management zones.
    4. Scoping meeting on the Atlantic shark fishery quota adjustment.
    For background information on these issues, see the document 
published in the Federal Register on September 23, 1994, 59 FR 48847.
    These hearings/meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Richard H. Schaefer by October 19, 
1994, (see ADDRESSES). To accommodate people unable to attend a scoping 
meeting or wishing to provide additional comments, NMFS is also 
soliciting written comments on these and other issues of concern in 
these fisheries, including comments on the DEIS.
    Each of these hearing/meetings will include a shark discussion from 
5 to 6 p.m., a non-bluefin tuna discussion from 6 to 7 p.m., and a 
bluefin discussion from 7 to 10 p.m. These scheduled times may be 
adjusted among the three fishery topics depending upon expressed 
interests of the audience. Such adjustments are at the discretion of 
the Meeting Officer.

    Dated: October 11, 1994.
Joe P. Clem,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-25583 Filed 10-12-94; 11:49 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F