[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 48 (Wednesday, March 12, 1997)] [Proposed Rules] [Pages 11410-11411] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 97-6195] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 50 CFR Part 630 [I.D.030597B] Atlantic Tuna Fisheries; Public Hearings AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. [[Page 11411]] ACTION: Notice of public hearings; request for comments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: NMFS will hold four public hearings to receive comments from fishery participants and other members of the public regarding proposed amendments to regulations governing the Atlantic tuna fisheries. The proposed rule would amend regulations governing the Atlantic tuna fisheries to: Divide the large school-small medium size class quota and the large medium-giant quotas of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ABT) into north and south regional subquotas; establish a new tuna permit program to provide for category changes, annual renewals and the collection of fees; establish authority for self-reporting for ABT landed under the Angling category; prohibit the retention of ABT less than the large medium size class by vessels permitted in the General category; prohibit all fishing by persons aboard vessels permitted in the General category on designated restricted-fishing days; and prohibit the use of spotter aircraft except in purse seine fisheries. The proposed regulatory amendments are necessary to achieve domestic management objectives for the Atlantic tuna fisheries. DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for dates, times, and locations of the public hearings. Written comments on the proposed rule must be received on or before March 31, 1997. ADDRESSES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the public hearing locations. Written comments should be sent to Rebecca Lent, Acting Chief, Highly Migratory Species Management Division (F/SF1), National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Clearly mark the outside of the envelope ``Atlantic Tuna Comments.'' FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Murray-Brown at 508-281-9260 for the Gloucester, MA, hearing or Christopher Rogers at 301-713-2347 for other hearings, or for general information. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed regulatory amendments that are the subject of the hearings are necessary to improve management and monitoring of the U.S. Atlantic tuna fisheries, to implement the 1996 International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) recommendations, and to enhance collection of data to improve assessment of the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the fisheries. A complete description of the measures, and the purpose and need for the proposed action, is contained in the proposed rule published March 4, 1997 (62 FR 9726) and is not repeated here. Copies of the proposed rule may be obtained by writing (see ADDRESSES) or calling one of the contact persons (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). The proposed rule provided a comment period of 30 days duration ending on March 31, 1997. The public hearing schedule is as follows: Tuesday, March 18, 1997, Gloucester, MA, 7-9 p.m. Milton Fuller School (on Blackburn Circle) 4 School House Rd. Gloucester, MA 01930 For information call: (508) 281-9260 Thursday, March 20, 1997, Manteo, NC, 7-9 p.m. North Carolina Aquarium Airport Road Manteo, NC 27954 For information call: (301) 713-2347 Tuesday, March 25, 1997, Toms River, NJ, 7-9 p.m. Holiday Inn 290 State Highway 37 East Toms River, NJ 08753 For information call: (301) 713-2347 Thursday, March 27, 1997, Silver Spring, MD, 9 a.m. - 12 noon NOAA/ NMFS 1305 East-West Highway, Room 1W611 Silver Spring, MD 20910 For information call: (301) 713-2347 The purpose of this notice is to alert the interested public of hearings and provide for public participation. These hearings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Rebecca Lent by March 14, 1997 (see ADDRESSES). Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. Dated: March 6, 1997. Bruce Morehead, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 97-6195 Filed 3-11-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-F