[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 35 (Friday, February 21, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7991-7992]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4265]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[I.D. 021097C]
New England Fishery Management Council; 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 New England Fishery Management Council and the Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Councils) will hold public
hearings to receive comments on Amendment 9 to the Northeast
Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Councils have
determined a need for better management of the monkfish resource to
stem the long-term decline in stock biomass, average size, and the
proportion of mature fish. Management measures to reduce the catch of
small monkfish will help resolve the problem, but additional reductions
in landings and mortality are needed to stop overfishing. The Councils
propose to reduce fishing effort in no more than 7 years through
reductions in total allowable landings (TAL). The TAL reductions would
be achieved through a combination of days-at-sea (DAS) limits, quotas,
trip limits, limited access, size limits, and minimum mesh limits.
DATES: Written comments on Amendment 9 will be accepted through March
14, 1997. Testimony may be presented at the public hearings, which are
scheduled to be held from February 24 to March 10, 1997. See
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.
ADDRESSES: Direct written comments or requests for copies of the public
hearing document, draft Amendment 9 document, or the draft Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement to Paul J. Howard, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906;
telephone 617/231-0422, or David Keifer, Executive Director, Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management, 300 South New Street, Suite 2115, Dover,
DE 19901; telephone 302/674-2331.
The hearings will be held in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and North
Carolina. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for locations of the hearings
and special accommodations.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, 617-231-0422.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Recent U.S. landings of monkfish have increased dramatically in
response to an increase in the market value of the species in
combination with the decline in abundance of traditional groundfish
species. Most monkfish are taken as bycatch in the Northwest Atlantic
groundfish and scallop fisheries, although directed effort is
increasing. Directed effort is occurring in both deepwater (100-150
fathoms) by otter trawls and in shoal waters by gillnets and scallop
dredges. Interest in fishing for monkfish has been fueled by the
valuable liver market and increasing market acceptance of small
monkfish tails. This trend is expected to continue, especially as
fishermen seek alternatives to the traditional scallop and groundfish
fisheries, which are now strictly regulated.
Management Measures by Area
Amendment 9 to the FMP would bring monkfish under Federal
management authority throughout the Northeast region (Virginia to
Maine). The Councils are proposing two management areas for monkfish, a
northern fishery management area (NFMA) and a southern fishery
management area (SFMA). The reason for the separation is partly based
on the biological characteristics of the resource and partly based on
the differences in fisheries in the Gulf of Maine versus areas to the
south.
TAL targets have been established for the two fishery management
areas and are consistent with the monkfish overfishing definition and
the rebuilding strategy adopted by the Councils. Different management
measures would apply to vessels fishing in these two management areas.
Limited Access Program
A limited access program for vessels that target and land large
volumes of monkfish would be based on historic participation from
February 28, 1991, to February 27, 1995 (the monkfish control date).
Vessels must comply with the control date guidelines to be eligible for
qualification. These limited access vessels could target monkfish under
a seasonal quota or under a limited number of DAS, depending on the
management measures in the final amendment.
Monkfish Selectivity
Limited access vessels would be required to use at least 10-inch
(25.4-cm) square or 12-inch (30.5-cm) diamond mesh to target monkfish.
This requirement is necessary to reduce the groundfish bycatch below
the 5 percent threshold for a certified fishery as specified by
Amendment 7 to the Multispecies FMP.
Amendment 9, which takes into account the effect of large mesh on
bycatch, may open the monkfish limited access fishery in some areas.
Other areas
[[Page 7992]]
may remain closed due to the prevalence of groundfish. This action
would also supersede the previous framework adjustments for certain
monkfish fisheries (the adjustment allowing vessels to use 8-inch
(20.3-cm) mesh to target monkfish south of 40 deg.10' N. latitude). The
Councils, therefore, anticipate that the limited access monkfish
fishery could operate with 10-inch (25.4-cm) square and 12-inch (30.5-
cm) diamond mesh in many areas, but other monkfish fisheries would
require certification by the Regional Administrator according to the
regulations established by Amendment 7.
Monkfish mesh selectivity with these large mesh nets is unknown.
The body shape of monkfish, however, prevents even large changes in
minimum mesh size from substantially improving monkfish selectivity.
The proposed management alternatives, therefore, rely more on ceilings
for total landings, trip limits and size limits to reduce fishing
mortality.
Summary of Management Measures
The Councils prefer alternative 3 because it would not allow
multispecies vessels to target monkfish, except under the multispecies
DAS program. It also relies less on trip limits to control monkfish
bycatch. Alternatives 1 and 4 are non-preferred. Both would meet the
biological objectives but they would require lower trip limits to
allocate more monkfish for the limited access fishery. This approach
could cause increased discarding of monkfish, which would be
unavoidable when vessels are fishing for other species.
The Councils considered but rejected Alternative 2 and a no action
alternative. Alternative 2 would meet the management objectives for
monkfish and allow some targeting of monkfish by vessels in the
groundfish and scallop fisheries. It would not, however, prevent
intensified fishing effort on monkfish. The no- action alternative
would not prevent overfishing, would not meet the management objectives
for monkfish, nor would it prevent increased fishing effort.
Management Measures Common to All Alternatives
1. TAL for the NFMA of 3,000 mt beginning on July 1, 1997. Future
TALs reflect reductions in expected bycatch, while the limited access
TAL allocations would remain constant.
2. TAL for the SFMA of 6,000 mt beginning on July 1, 1997. Future
TALs reflect reductions in expected bycatch, while the limited access
TAL allocations would remain constant.
3. A limited access program to control the number of vessels
targeting monkfish with seasonal monkfish quotas or limits on the
number of DAS for each qualifying vessel.
4. Minimum size limits--14 inches (35.6 cm) tail length, or 21
inches (53.3 cm) total length.
5. Landings of monkfish livers--25 percent of the total weight of
tails, or 10 percent of the total weight of whole fish.
6. Dealer and vessel permitting requirements.
7. Mandatory reporting of landings and effort for each fishing
trip.
8. A framework adjustment procedure to modify area closures,
minimum size limits, minimum mesh sizes, liver ratios, bycatch trip
limits, and other measures that regulate the limited access fisheries.
Management Alternatives
The three alternatives differ in how bycatch is defined and how
directed fishing effort is regulated. The draft Amendment 9 document
describes these alternatives in more detail.
Alternative 1 - Non-preferred
a. Trip limits and effort reductions, now in place, to manage the
bycatch fisheries. The trip limits are specified by gear type, area,
and permit category.
b. Seasonal quotas for limited access vessels.
Alternative 3 - Preferred
a. Unlike the other alternatives, monkfish would become a regulated
multispecies and could be targeted by vessels with fleet or individual
DAS. Monkfish would be a regulated species of concern, classified like
cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder.
b. Vessels without multispecies permits may qualify for fleet or
individual monkfish-only DAS allocations, based on their history
targeting and landing monkfish.
c. TALs are targets to be achieved through future adjustments to
the management measures via the framework adjustment procedure.
d. Scallopers could land 5,000 lb (2.27 mt) (tail weight) per trip,
or 400 lb (0.18 mt) (tail weight) per DAS, whichever is less.
Alternative 4 - Non-preferred
a. Qualifying vessels would be allocated fleet DAS to target
monkfish. Multispecies vessels would be unable to target monkfish,
unless they qualify based on their history of landing monkfish.
b. Annual DAS amounts would be determined from the monkfish
allocation for the limited access fishery.
c. Trip limits for groundfish and scallop fisheries of 175 to 200
lb (0.08 to 0.09 mt) tail weight per DAS would be allowed.
Public Hearings
The dates, time, and locations of the hearings are scheduled as
follows:
1. Monday, February 24, 1997, 7 p.m.--Urban Forestry Center, 45
Elwyn Road, Portsmouth, NH, telephone: 603/431-6774.
2. Wednesday, February 26, 1997, 7 p.m.--Sheraton Fontainbleau
Hotel, 10100 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, telephone: 410/638-2100.
3. Thursday, February 27, 1997, 7 p.m.--Double Tree Club Hotel, 880
Military Highway, Norfolk, VA, telephone: 757/461-9192.
4. Friday, February 28, 1997, 7 p.m.--Holiday Inn, 1001 Virginia
Dare Trail, Nags Head, NC, telephone: 919/441-6333.
5. Saturday, March 1, 1997, 10:30 a.m.--Samoset Resort, 220
Warrenton Street, Rockport, ME, telephone: 207/594-2511.
6. Monday, March 3, 1997, 7 p.m.--Howard Johnson Hotel, 955 Hooper
Avenue, Toms River, NJ, telephone: 908/244-1000.
7. Tuesday, March 4, 1997, 7:30 p.m.--Holiday Inn, 3845 Veterans
Memorial Highway, Ronkonkoma, NY, telephone: 516/585-9500.
8. Wednesday, March 5, 1997, 7 p.m.--Holiday Inn at the Crossings,
800 Greenwich Avenue, Warwick, RI, telephone: 401/732-6000.
9. Thursday, March 6, 1997, 7 p.m.--Tara Hyannis, West End Circle,
Hyannis, MA, telephone: 508/775-7775.
10. Friday, March 7, 1997, 1 p.m.--Sadler Function Hall, Sadler
Street Extension, Gloucester, MA, telephone: 508/281-8665.
11. Monday, March 10, 1997, 7 p.m.--Radisson Eastland Hotel, 157
High Street, Portland, ME, telephone: 207/775-5418.
12. Monday, March 17, 1997, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.--Seaport Inn,
110 Middle Street, Fairhaven, MA, telephone: 508/997-1281.
These meetings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Paul J. Howard (see ADDRESSES) at
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 13, 1997.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-4265 Filed 2-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F