[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 8672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4657]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 630

[I.D. 010897A]
RIN 0648-AE09


Atlantic Swordfish Fisheries; Notice of Availability of Amendment 
1

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of an amendment to a fishery management 
plan; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Highly Migratory Species Division has 
submitted Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic 
Swordfish (FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. 
Written comments are requested from the public. Amendment 1 would 
implement limited access measures for the Atlantic swordfish fisheries.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to William Hogarth, Acting Chief, Highly 
Migratory Species Management Division (F/SF1), NMFS, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Requests for copies of Amendment 1, 
which includes an environmental assessment and a regulatory impact 
review, should be sent to James Chambers, Fishery Management 
Specialist, Highly Migratory Species Management Division (F/SF1), NMFS, 
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Chambers or John Kelly, 301-713-
2347; fax: 301-713-1917.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic swordfish fishery is managed 
under the FMP and its implementing regulations found at 50 CFR part 630 
and issued under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act)(16 U.S.C. 1801 
et seq.) and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA) (16 U.S.C. 971 et 
seq.). Regulations issued under the authority of ATCA carry out the 
recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of 
Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The FMP was implemented on September 18, 1985.
    If approved, Amendment 1 would redefine permits as directed or 
incidental, develop eligibility criteria for these permits based on 
historical participation, and specify rules for transferability of 
permits. NMFS has determined that the Atlantic swordfish fishery is 
overfished and overcapitalized, with an excessive number of permitted 
vessels relative to the harvest level prescribed by ICCAT. The 
objective of this Amendment is to take a first and significant step 
towards reducing fleet capacity to levels more closely aligned with 
resource production by implementing limited access, substantially 
reducing latent harvesting capacity, and implementing measures to 
prevent further overcapitalization while allowing traditional hand-gear 
fishers to participate fully as the stock recovers.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. and 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.

    Dated: February 19, 1997.
Rolland A. Schmitten,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-4657 Filed 2-20-97; 2:46 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F