[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 159 (Thursday, August 17, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 42830-42831]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-20377]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 625

[I.D. 081195A]


Summer Flounder Fishery; Notice of Availability; Amendment 7

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

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

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice to advise the public that the Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 7 
to the Fishery Management Plan for Summer Flounder (FMP) for 
Secretarial review and is requesting comments from the public. The 
Amendment would revise the fishing mortality rate reduction schedule 
for summer flounder. Copies of the Amendment may be obtained from the 
Council (see ADDRESSES).

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 10, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Dr. Andrew Rosenberg, Regional Director, 
National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Regional Office, 1 
Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-3799. Mark the outside of the 
envelope ``Comments on Summer Flounder Plan.''
    Copies of Amendment 7, the environmental assessment and the 
regulatory impact review are available from David R. Keifer, Executive 
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Room 2115, 

[[Page 42831]]
Federal Building, 300 S.New Street, Dover, DE 19904-6790.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Regina L. Spallone, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, 508-281-9221.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) (Magnuson Act) requires that 
each fishery management council submit any fishery management plan or 
plan amendment it prepares to the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) for 
review and approval, disapproval, or partial disapproval. The Magnuson 
Act also requires that the Secretary, upon receiving the plan or 
amendment, immediately make a preliminary evaluation of whether the 
Amendment is sufficient to warrant continued review, and publish a 
notice that the plan or amendment is available for public review and 
comment. The Secretary will consider the public comments in determining 
whether to approve the amendment.
    Amendment 2 to the FMP enacted a broad spectrum of measures to stop 
overfishing and allow the stock to rebuild. These measures include a 
fishing mortality rate (F) reduction schedule. The reduction schedule 
was set at F of 0.53 for 1993-1995, and Fmax (0.23) in 1996 and 
thereafter. Fmax is the biological reference point that 
corresponds to the level of fishing mortality that produces the maximum 
yield per recruit. The schedule was developed and adopted by the 
Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) 
after lengthy deliberations. It was deemed an appropriate balance 
between effective reduction in fishing mortality and short-term 
economic burdens placed on participants in the fishery.
    The Council and ASMFC conducted analyses of the fishing mortality 
rate reduction schedules during the development of Amendment 2. Based 
on these analyses, the Council believed that by the fourth year of the 
rebuilding schedule (1996), the level of rebuilding in the stock would 
offset any significant reductions in the total coastwide commercial and 
recreational quota (quota). That is, it was assumed that the stock 
growth from years 1 to 3 would be large enough that by 1996, the quota 
would not be significantly different from the 1995 level even with the 
reduction in the mortality rate.
    However, although the stock has rebuilt from its 1989 low level, it 
has not recovered to the extent projected. Lower than expected 
recruitment levels in 1993, and redirected exploitation patterns on 
more ages 0 and 1 fish, produced a higher F than expected. Thus, in 
order to reach the target F of 0.23 in 1996, the resulting quota would 
be approximately 11 million pounds (4,990 mt), or about a 50% reduction 
from the 1995 quota. Because of the magnitude of this reduction, and 
the resulting short-term negative economic burdens on industry, the 
Council and ASMFC initiated a reexamination of the fishing mortality 
rate reduction schedule for summer flounder.
    Amendment 7, if approved, would revise the fishing mortality rate 
reduction schedule for summer flounder by deferring attainment of 
Fmax until 1998. This will allow for more stable landings from one 
year to the next. This change will alleviate short-term negative 
economic impacts on the industry, yet slow the rate of stock rebuilding 
only slightly. The Council and ASMFC have adopted the following 
strategy: the fishing mortality rate would be reduced from the 1995 
target (0.53) to 0.41 in 1996, 0.3 in 1997, and Fmax in 1998 and 
beyond. In addition, the Amendment specifies that the quota for 1996 
and 1997 could not exceed 18.51 million pounds (8,400 mt). This cap on 
the quota could result in an F in 1996 and 1997 lower than 0.41 and 0.3 
respectively, but would not exceed these values. A quota level above 
the cap could be set in 1996 or 1997 only if the resulting quota had an 
associated F of 0.23.
    The receipt date for this Amendment is August 10, 1995. Proposed 
regulations to implement this Amendment are scheduled to be published 
within 15 days of the receipt date.

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

    Dated: August 11, 1995.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-20377 Filed 8-14-95; 3:19 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F