[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 161 (Thursday, August 20, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 44602]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22360]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 630

[I.D. 121597D]


Atlantic Swordfish Fishery; Reopening of Comment Period and 
Hearing Announcement

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

ACTION: Reopening of comment period and hearing announcement.

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SUMMARY: NMFS reopens the public comment period on a proposed rule to 
establish annual quotas for the South Atlantic swordfish fishery and to 
change quota adjustment procedures. Also, NMFS announces three 
hearings.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 1, 1998. 
Hearings will be held on August 26, 1998, in Warwick, RI; August 28, 
1998, in Fairhaven, MA; and September 1, 1998, in St. Croix, USVI.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to, and the proposed 
rule and draft Environmental Assessment are available from, Jill 
Stevenson, Highly Migratory Species Management Division, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. Hearings will be held at the 
following locations: August 26, 1998, 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Radisson 
Airport Hotel Providence, 2081 Post Road, Warwick, RI; for directions 
only, (401) 739-3000; August 28, 1998, 7-10 p.m. at the Seaport Inn, 
Fairhaven, MA, for directions only (800) 835-7678; September 1, 1998, 
7-9 p.m. at the Hotel on the Cay, Protestant Cay, St. Croix, USVI, for 
directions only, (340) 773-2035.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Stevenson or Steve Meyers, 
telephone: (301) 713-2347, fax: (301) 713-1917.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic swordfish fishery is managed 
under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and the Atlantic Tunas 
Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.). On June 10, 1998, NMFS 
published a proposed rule (63 FR 31710) to establish annual quotas for 
the South Atlantic swordfish fishery. The notice also contained 
proposed measures to change the quota adjustment procedures for the 
North and South Atlantic swordfish fisheries. Initial comments in 
response to that notice included requests to extend the comment period 
on these measures due to the far-ranging nature of the swordfish 
fishing fleet and the need to schedule public hearings on these issues. 
Therefore, NMFS reopens the public comment period through September 1, 
1998.

    Dated: August 14, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-22360 Filed 8-14-98; 4:39 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F