[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 222 (Friday, November 17, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 57695-57696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-28360]



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[[Page 57696]]


DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 655

[I.D. 110995B]


Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; Notice of 
Availability of Amendment 5

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice that the Mid-Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 5 to the Fishery 
Management Plan for Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries 
(FMP) for Secretarial review and is requesting comments from the 
public. The amendment would revise the management program for Atlantic 
mackerel, squid, and butterfish. Copies of the amendment may be 
obtained from the Council (see ADDRESSES).

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 8, 1996.

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 Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Plan.''
    Copies of Amendment 5, the environmental impact statement, and the 
regulatory impact review are available from David R. Keifer, Executive 
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Room 2115 Federal 
Building, 300 S. New Street, Dover, DE 19904-6790.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Myles Raizin, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
508-281-9104.

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 5 would eliminate joint ventures and directed foreign 
fishing for Illex and Loligo squid (squids) and butterfish; establish a 
moratorium on new entrants to the directed fisheries for the squids and 
butterfish; establish new permit requirements; establish a quota-
setting process that includes recommendations made by a Technical 
Monitoring Committee; establish minimum mesh requirements for the 
Loligo fishery with exemptions for the sea herring fishery and the 
summer Illex fishery occurring outside the 50-fathom curve; require 
mandatory reporting for permitted vessels and dealers; revise certain 
biological reference points for Atlantic mackerel and Loligo squid; and 
specify conditions under which annual seasonal quotas may be 
established for the Loligo fishery.
    The receipt date for this amendment was November 8, 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: November 13, 1995.
Richard H. Schaefer,
Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-28360 Filed 11-13-95; 4:39 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F