[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 139 (Thursday, July 18, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 37436-37437]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-18190]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 070996A]


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Public hearings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold public 
hearings to allow for input on Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management 
Plan for the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries (FMP). 
The hearings will be tape recorded with the tapes filed as the official 
transcript of the hearings.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted through August 1, 1996. The 
hearings are scheduled as follows:
    1. July 29, 1996, 7 p.m., Warwick, RI.
    2. July 29, 1996, 7 p.m., Virginia Beach, VA.
    3. July 30, 1996, 7:30 p.m., Long Island, Riverhead, NY.
    4. July 31, 1996, 7 p.m., Cape May Courthouse, NJ.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: David R. Keifer, Executive Director, Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Room 2115 Federal Building, 300 
South New Street, Dover, DE 19904. The hearings will be held at the 
following locations:
    1. Warwick--Holiday Inn at the Crossings, 801 Greenwich Avenue, 
Warwick, RI
    2. Virginia Beach--Days Inn, 5708 Northampton Boulevard, Virginia 
Beach, VA
    3. Long Island, Riverhead--Ramada East End, Exit 72 L.I.E. and 
Route 25, Long Island, Riverhead, NY

[[Page 37437]]

    4. Cape May Courthouse--Cape May Extension Office, Dennisville 
Road, Cape May Courthouse, NJ

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David R. Keifer, (302) 674-2331.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Amendments 2 through 5 to the FMP, as 
adopted by the Council and approved by NMFS, established procedures for 
setting annual catch specifications for Atlantic mackerel, Loligo 
squid, Illex squid, and butterfish, required that commercial vessels 
and party and charter boats obtain permits, established overfishing 
definitions for the four species, established policies related to the 
foreign fishery and joint ventures, eliminated foreign fisheries for 
butterfish and the squids, implemented moratoria on entry of additional 
vessels into the squid and butterfish fisheries, allowed for seasonal 
quotas in the Loligo fishery, implemented a minimum mesh net in the 
Loligo fishery, and developed a dealer and vessel reporting system.
    The management measures for Amendment 6 adopted by the Council for 
hearings are:
    1. Revised overfishing definitions for Illex and Loligo squid and 
Atlantic butterfish.
    2. Provision for NMFS to close the U.S. directed fishery for 
Loligo, Illex, or butterfish when U.S. fishermen have harvested 95 
percent of the allowable domestic annual harvest (DAH) if such closure 
is necessary to prevent DAH from being exceeded.
    3. The Director, Northeast Region, NMFS, may impose season closures 
in the Illex fishery to improve yield per recruit from the fishery, 
based upon the recommendation of the Council. This may include delaying 
the opening of the directed Illex fishery if substantial increases in 
yield will result from such closures.
    The public hearings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to David R. Keifer (see ADDRESSES) at 
least 5 days prior to the hearing dates.

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

    Dated: July 12, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-18190 Filed 7-17-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F