[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 27, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 33186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-15682]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 229

[I.D. 061995B]


Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Commercial Fishing 
Operations; Authorization for Commercial Fisheries; Proposed List of 
Fisheries; Hearings

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is announcing dates and locations for nine public 
hearings that will address the proposed rule to implement the new 
regime under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to govern the taking of 
marine mammals incidental to commercial fishing operations and the 
proposed list of fisheries (LOF) included in the proposed rule.

DATES: Written comments on the proposed rule and the interactions 
between commercial fisheries and ESA-listed stocks must be submitted by 
July 31, 1995. Written comments on the proposed list of fisheries will 
be accepted until September 14, 1995. Public hearings on all aspects of 
the proposed rule will be held in June and July. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific dates and times of the hearings.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to, and copies of the 
proposed rule are available from, Chief, Marine Mammal Division, Office 
of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-
West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (FAX: 301-713-0376). Copies of 
the environmental assessment are available from the above address or by 
accessing NMFS ``Home Page'' on the World Wide Web at http://
kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov:80/home-page.html. Public hearings will be held 
in Alaska, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, 
North Carolina, and Washington. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for dates 
and locations of the hearings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margot Bohan, Office of Protected 
Resources, 301-713-2322; Dan Morris, Northeast Region, 508-281-9388; 
Jeff Brown, Southeast Region, 813-570-5301; Jim Lecky, Southwest 
Region, 310-980-4015; Brent Norberg, Northwest Region, 206-526-6140; 
Bridget Mansfield, Alaska Region, 907-586-7235.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 16, 1995, NMFS issued a proposed 
rule (60 FR 31666) to establish a new regime for the taking of marine 
mammals incidental to commercial fishing operations, pursuant to 
section 118 of the MMPA. Among other things, issues addressed in the 
proposed rule include: The authorization process for the incidental 
take of species and stocks of marine mammals by vessels engaged in 
commercial fishing, the issuance of a proposed LOF categorized 
according to frequency of incidental serious injury and mortality of 
marine mammals, new classification criteria for the categorization of 
commercial fisheries based on level of take relative to potential 
biological removal, the new requirements for commercial fishers to 
report any marine mammal incidental injury and/or mortality within 48 
hours of the end of a fishing trip, and the definition of zero 
mortality rate goal.
    The public will have an opportunity to provide oral or written 
testimony at the public hearings. NMFS requests that persons planning 
to speak at the hearings provide a written copy of their testimony to 
NMFS at the hearing. These hearings are physically accessible to people 
with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to the appropriate regional contact 
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
    The hearings on the proposed rule and the proposed LOF will be held 
as follows:
    1. Wednesday, June 28, 1995, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.---King's Grant 
Inn, Route 128 at Trask Lane, Danvers, MA 01923;
    2. Thursday, July 6, 1995, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.--Forsythe 
National Wildlife Refuge Auditorium, Gray Creek Road (off Route 9), 
Oceanville, NJ 08230;
    3. Monday, July 10, 1995, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.--1325 East-West 
Highway, Bldg. SSMC2, Rm. 2358, Silver Spring, MD 20910;
    4. Wednesday, July 12, 1995, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.--Carousel Hotel 
and Resort, 118th Street and Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842;
    5. Wednesday, July 12, 1995, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.--Renaissance 
Hotel, 111 East Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90802;
    6. Wednesday, July 12, 1995, 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.--Holiday Inn, 
3845 Veteran's Highway, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779;
    7. Tuesday, July 18, 1995, 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon--Federal Building, 
Tlingit Room (1st floor), 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99513;
    8. Wednesday, July 19, 1995, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Duke 
University Marine Lab Auditorium, Pivers Island Rd., Beaufort, NC 
28516; and
    9. Wednesday, July 19, 1995, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., 7600 Sand 
Point Way, NE., Building 9 Auditorium, Seattle, WA 98115.

    Dated: June 20, 1995.
Patricia Montanio,
Acting Office Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-15682 Filed 6-22-95; 12:40 pm]
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