[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 13, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10302-10303]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5893]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 642

[I.D. 022996C]


South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Public hearings; requests for comments.

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic 
Council) will hold three public hearings on Draft Amendment 8 to the 
Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the 
Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic (FMP) and its draft supplemental 
environmental impact statement (draft SEIS).

DATES: Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m., March 26, 1996. 
The hearings are scheduled as follows:
    1. March 18, 1996, 7 p.m. until business is completed, Ronkonkoma, 
NY
    2. March 19, 1996, 7 p.m. until business is completed, Toms River, 
NJ
    3. March 20, 1996, 7 p.m. until business is completed, Salisbury, 
MD

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft amendment are available from Susan 
Buchanan, Public Information Officer (803) 571-4366.
    Written comments may be sent by U.S. mail, e-mail or fax to Bob 
Mahood, Executive Director, SAFMC, One Southpark Circle, Suite 306, 
Charleston, SC 29407. Fax: 803-769-4520, E-Mail: [email protected]. 
The draft amendment will be available to the public at the hearings.
    The hearings will be held at the following locations:
    1. Ronkonkoma--Holiday Inn, 3845 Veterans Memorial Highway, 
Ronkonkoma, NY 11799; telephone: 516-585-9500
    2. Tom's River--Holiday Inn, 290 Route 37 East, Tom's River, NJ 
08753; telephone; 908-244-4000
    3. Salisbury--Holiday Inn, 2625 N Salisbury Blvd., Salisbury, MD 
21801; telephone: 410-742-7194

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Buchanan, 803-571-4366.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The South Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils 
(Councils) will hold public hearings on Draft Amendment 8 to the FMP 
and its draft SEIS. Draft Amendment 8 includes management measures for 
the fisheries for king and Spanish mackerel, cobia, and dolphin (fish). 
These measures would apply only in the South Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic 
Council's (Mid-Atlantic Council) jurisdiction, apply only in the Gulf 
of Mexico Fishery Management Council's (Gulf Council) jurisdiction, or 
apply in all three Councils' jurisdictions.
    Proposed actions that would affect only the stocks and area under 
the jurisdiction of the South Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic Councils are as 
follows: Harvest Spanish mackerel only with hook and line, run-around 
nets, stab nets, and cast nets (along Florida's east coast nets are 
limited to run-around gillnets, 800 yd (732 m) in length, and a 1-hour 
soak time); harvest king mackerel in the South Atlantic Council's area 
of jurisdiction, south of Cape Lookout, NC, with hook-and-line gear 
(multigear trips consisting of mixed species, including king mackerel, 
are allowed north of Cape Lookout NC, but are not to exceed 3,500 lbs 
(1.6 mt)); allow the harvest of other directed coastal pelagics with 
surface longline, hook-and-line including manual, electric, or 
hydraulic rod and reels, and bandit gear only; allow the use of cast 
nets and another nets with mesh sizes no larger than 2 1/2 inch (6.35 
cm) stretch mesh and no longer than 50 yd (46 m) for the purpose of 
catching bait; allow the introduction of experimental gear; provide 
that non-conforming gear be limited to the bag limit for species with a 
bag limit (no limit for species without a bag limit); establish a 5-
year moratorium, beginning on October 16, 1995, on the issuance of 
commercial vessel permits with a king mackerel endorsement; provide for 
the transfer of vessel permits to other vessels; require that anyone 
applying for a commercial vessel permit demonstrate that 25 percent of 
annual income, or $5,000, be from commercial fishing; and require, as a 
condition for a Federal commercial or charter vessel permit, that the 
applicant comply with the more restrictive of state or Federal rules 
when fishing in state waters; extend the range of cobia management 
North to the EEZ off New York; and, establish the following commercial 
trip limits for Atlantic king mackerel: 3,500 lb (l.6 mt) in the ocean 
area from Volusia/Flagler County, FL, to the New York/Connecticut 
border from April 1 to March 31, 3,500 lb (1.6 mt) in the ocean area 
from Brevard/Volusia County, FL, to Volusia/ Flagler, FL, from April 1 
to October 31, 50 fish in the ocean area from Brevard/Volusia to Dade/
Monroe, FL, from April 1 to October 31, and a 125 fish limit in the EEZ 
off Monroe County from April 1 to October 31.
    Amendment 8 also includes the following measures that apply to the 
three Councils' jurisdictions: Require commercial dealer permits to buy 
and sell coastal pelagic fish managed under the FMP and require that 
dealers keep and make available records of purchase by vessel, 
recreational bag and commercial trip limit alternatives for cobia and 
dolphin (fish), retention of up to five damaged king mackerel not to be 
sold by vessels under commercial trip limits, changes to the procedure 
used to set total allowable catch, and changes to definitions of 
overfishing and optimum yield. Additional options are included in the 
draft amendment.
    In December 1995, the Gulf Council held public hearings on proposed 
measures in Amendment 8 applying only to the area and stocks under its 
jurisdiction.

Special Accommodations

    These hearings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office (see ADDRESSES) 
by March 13, 1996.


[[Page 10303]]

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

    Dated: March 6, 1996.
Donald J. Leedy,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-5893 Filed 3-12-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F