[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 222 (Friday, November 15, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 58508]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-29247]



[[Page 58508]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 103196B]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 6 to the 
Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries

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 announces that the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management 
Plan for the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries for 
Secretarial review and is requesting comments from the public. 
Amendment 6 is intended to implement management measures to prevent 
overfishing of the Atlantic squids and butterfish and to allow for 
seasonal restrictions in the Illex squid fishery to improve yield per 
recruit.

DATES: Comments on Amendment 6 must be received on or before January 
14, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Dr. Andrew A. Rosenberg, Regional 
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, One Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930-3799. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments 
on SMB 6''.
    Copies of Amendment 6, the environmental assessment, and the 
regulatory impact review 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: Myles Raizin, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
508-281-9104.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) (Magnuson-Stevens Act) 
requires that each regional fishery management council submit any 
fishery management plan or plan amendment it prepares to NMFS, on 
behalf of the Secretary of Commerce, for review. The Magnuson-Stevens 
Act also requires that NMFS, upon receiving the plan or amendment for 
review, immediately publish a document that the plan or plan amendment 
is available for public review and comment. NMFS will consider the 
public comments received during the comment period in determining 
whether to approve the plan or amendment.
    Amendment 6 would revise overfishing definitions for Loligo and 
Illex squid, and butterfish, adjust the fishery closure trigger for 
these species from 80 percent to 95 percent of domestic annual harvest, 
revise limits on bycatch of these species when a fishery is closed, and 
establish a mechanism for seasonal closures in the Illex squid fishery.

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

    Dated: November 8, 1996.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-29247 Filed 11-8-96; 4:06 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F