[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 33 (Friday, February 16, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6230-6231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3552]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 651

[I.D. 021296E]


Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Notice of Availability of 
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 that the New England Fishery 
Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 7 to the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery (FMP) for 
Secretarial review and is requesting comments from the public. This 
amendment contains a series of management measures designed to rebuild 
overfished stocks of groundfish, especially cod, haddock and yellowtail 
flounder. Copies of the amendment may be obtained from the Council (see 
ADDRESSES).

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 11, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Dr. Andrew A. 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 Amendment 7 to the Northeast Multispecies 
Plan.''
    Copies of proposed Amendment 7, its Regulatory Impact Review (RIR) 
and the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis contained within the 
RIR, and the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement are 
available from Douglas Marshall, Executive Director, New England 
Fishery Management Council, Suntaug Office Park, 5 Broadway (U.S. Rte. 
1), Saugus, MA 01906-1097.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan A. Murphy, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, 508-281-9252.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson Act) (16 U.S.C 1801 et seq.) requires each 
regional fishery management council to submit any fishery management 
plan or plan amendment it prepares to the Secretary of Commerce 
(Secretary) for review and approval or disapproval. The Magnuson Act 
also requires the Secretary, upon receiving the plan or amendment, to 
immediately 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 plan or amendment.
    Proposed measures in the amendment include: (1) A procedure for 
setting annual target total allowable catch levels for regulated 
species; (2) an acceleration of the current days-at-sea effort 
reduction program; (3) elimination of current exemptions to the effort 
control program; (4) new closed areas; (5) a restriction on large mesh 
fisheries with more than a minimal bycatch of regulated species in the 
Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank and Southern New England regulated mesh 
areas; (6) a cod, haddock and yellowtail flounder possession limit 
restriction for vessels less than 30 ft (9.14 m); (7) establishment of 
the current experimental Nantucket Shoals dogfish fishery on a 
permanent basis; (8) modification to permit categories and qualifying 
criteria; (9) restrictions on charter/party and recreational vessels; 
and (10) revision and expansion of the existing framework provisions. 
Many of the current provisions to the FMP will be retained as the basic 
structure for the regulatory program.
    NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary, disapproved three measures in 

[[Page 6231]]
    Amendment 7 before publishing the notice of availability as authorized 
under section 304(a)(1)(A) of the Magnuson Act. These measures include: 
(1) The additional allowance of days-at-sea (DAS) for trawl vessels 
enrolled in the Individual DAS category that use 8-inch (20-cm) mesh, 
(2) the 300-lb (136-kg) possession allowance of regulated species for 
trawl vessels that use an 8-inch (20-cm) mesh in an exempted fishery, 
and (3) the establishment of a limited access category for vessels that 
fished in the Possession Limit Open Access category under Amendment 5.
    Day 1 of this amendment is February 12, 1996. Proposed regulations 
to implement this amendment are scheduled to be published within 15 
days of this date.

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

    Dated: February 12, 1996.
Richard H. Schaefer,
Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-3552 Filed 2-13-96; 1:09 pm]
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