[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 175 (Monday, September 9, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 47473-47474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22953]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 960830238-6239-3802; I.D. 081496C]
RIN 0648-AJ07


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery; Control Date

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

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking; consideration of a 
control date.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the New England Fishery Management Council 
(Council) is considering limiting future access to anyone not in 
possession of a current multispecies limited access multispecies permit 
who enters the fisheries for silver hake (Merluccis bilinearis), black-
eye whiting (offshore hake) (Merluccis albibus), ocean pout 
(Macrozoarces americanus), and red hake (Urophycis chuss) after 
September 9, 1996 (control date). Consideration of a control date is 
intended to discourage new entry into the fishery based on economic 
speculation during the Council's deliberation on the issue.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by October 7, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to: Douglas Marshall, Executive 
Director, New England Fishery Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, 
MA 01906.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council manages multispecies under the 
Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Amendment 4 to 
the FMP, effective June 27, 1991, included fisheries for silver hake, 
red hake and ocean pout, but did not include any specific measures to 
manage these species. On March 1, 1994, Amendment 5 to the FMP 
established a limited access permit program for regulated multispecies 
and retained an open-access permit category for the nonregulated 
multispecies--whiting, red hake, and ocean pout.
    A definition for ``nonregulated species'' pertaining to the 
Northeast multispecies fishery was established by a final rule 
published on July 31, 1996, at 61 FR 39909. That definition contains 
the following species: Whiting, red hake, and ocean pout. The term 
``nonregulated species'' in this action refers to whiting, red hake, 
ocean pout, and black-eye whiting. Black-eye whiting has historically 
not been distinguished from whiting, but the Council has recently 
requested information regarding biology and fishery economics from 
NMFS, because it may be prudent to monitor and manage the species 
separately.
    On February 5, 1996, the Council submitted Amendment 7 to the FMP 
to NMFS and, after a preliminary evaluation, three measures in the 
amendment were disapproved on February 14, 1996, including the 
establishment of a limited access category for qualified vessels that 
fished in the open access possession limit category under Amendment 5. 
Pursuant to section 304(b)(3)(A) of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson Act), the Council resubmitted the measure 
that would implement a possession limit permit category by revising it 
to allow any vessel of the United States to obtain the permit and fish 
for and possess nonregulated multispecies. NMFS approved this 
resubmitted measure on July 19, 1996, and implemented it by a final 
rule on July 31, 1996 (61 FR 39909). The rule established an open 
access permit category named the ``open access nonregulated 
multispecies permit.''
    The Council currently manages fisheries for silver hake, ocean 
pout, and red hake under the FMP, and it is gathering information 
necessary to consider the inclusion of black-eye whiting in the FMP in 
a plan amendment now under development. One of the impacts of the 
regulated species effort reduction program under Amendments 5 and 7 is 
that vessels are seeking alternative fisheries, including nonregulated 
multispecies fisheries. As markets develop, additional participants may 
enter these fisheries with potentially negative impacts on the health 
of the resource. Of the nonregulated multispecies, NMFS scientists have 
indicated one of the two stocks of silver hake is probably 
overexploited and the other is fully exploited, ocean pout is fully 
exploited, and red hake is underexploited.
    Future access to these resources (the nonregulated species) in the 
exclusive economic zone will not be assured beyond the control date if 
a management regime that limits the number of participants in the 
fishery is developed and implemented under the Magnuson Act. The 
Council has indicated its intent to qualify vessels that hold a valid 
limited access multispecies permit for any limited access system that 
may be implemented for these species. The potential eligibility 
criteria may be based on current eligibility for limited access 
multispecies permits, as well as on historical participation, defined 
as any number of trips having any documented amount of any of these 
species. This document, therefore, gives the public, particularly those 
not in possession of a limited access multispecies permit, notice that 
they should locate and preserve records that substantiate and verify 
their participation in the fisheries for these species.
    The control date will help to distinguish currently established 
multispecies fishermen from speculative entrants to the fisheries while 
management measures are being developed. Fishermen not in possession of 
a current limited access multispecies permit are notified that entering 
the fisheries after the control date may not qualify as previous 
participation, should such a criterion be the basis for future access 
to the silver hake, red hake, ocean pout, or black-eye whiting 
resources. Furthermore, additional and/or other qualifying criteria 
also may be applied. The Council may choose different and variably 
weighted methods to qualify fishermen, based on the type and length of 
participation in the fishery or on the quantity of landings. The 
Council may also decide not to limit entry into these fisheries after a

[[Page 47474]]

consideration of all reasonable alternatives for their management.

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

    Dated: September 3, 1996.
N. Foster,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 96-22953 Filed 9-6-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F