[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 165 (Friday, August 23, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 43518-43519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-21517]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 081696D]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 9 to the 
Fishery Management Plan for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea 
Bass Fisheries; Resubmission of Disapproved Measure

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 to advise that the Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council (Council) has resubmitted a modification of 
the previously disapproved commercial quota measure contained in 
Amendment 9 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Summer Flounder, 
Scup and Black Sea Bass Fisheries (FMP), for Secretarial approval and 
to request comments from the public.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 19, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Dr. Andrew A. Rosenberg, Regional 
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930-3799. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments 
on the Resubmitted Black Sea Bass Measure.''
    Copies of the resubmission portion of Amendment 9 and other 
supporting documents 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: Regina L. Spallone, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, 508-281-9221.

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 
publish immediately notification 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.

[[Page 43519]]

    On July 19, 1996, NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary, upon 
preliminary evaluation of Amendment 9, as authorized in section 
304(a)(1)(A) of the Magnuson Act, disapproved the provision proposed in 
Amendment 9 that would have implemented a state by state commercial 
quota for black sea bass in 1998. The Council has revised this 
provision and, under section 304(b)(3)(A) of the Magnuson Act, 
submitted for Secretarial review, a proposed measure that would 
implement a quarterly coastwide quota with trip limits that would be 
allocated to the commercial black sea bass fishery from Maine through 
North Carolina.
    Day 1 of this rule is August 16, 1996. Proposed regulations for 
this provision are scheduled to be published within 15 days.

    Authority: 18 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: August 19, 1996.
Richard H. Schaefer,
Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-21517 Filed 8-20-96; 3:17 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F