[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 213 (Wednesday, November 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59545-59546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29522]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D.102898A]


Caribbean Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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


[[Page 59546]]


ACTION: Notice of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold 
public hearings on its Draft Comprehensive Amendment Addressing 
Sustainable Fisheries Act Requirements, Including Overfishing 
Definitions (draft Comprehensive SFA Amendment).

DATES: The public hearings will be held on November 6 and November 10, 
1998, from 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. Written comments on the draft 
Comprehensive SFA Amendment will be accepted through November 11, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The hearings will be held in the U.S. Virgin Islands and in 
Puerto Rico. For specific hearing locations and times, see 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. Copies of the Council's draft Comprehensive 
SFA Amendment can be obtained by calling the Council at (787) 766-5926; 
copies will be available at the hearings. Written comments on the draft 
Comprehensive SFA Amendment should be sent to the Caribbean Fishery 
Management Council, 268 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, San Juan, 
Puerto Rico 00918-2577; telephone: 787-766-5926; fax: 787-766-6239.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 
268 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918-2577; 
telephone: 787-766-5926; fax: 787-766-6239.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 (SFA) 
amended the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
(Magnuson-Stevens Act) to require certain changes in the contents of 
the fishery management plans (FMPs) prepared by regional fishery 
management councils. Under the procedures of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, 
the Council has prepared FMPs for reef fish, spiny lobster, coral, and 
queen conch; these FMPs have been approved by NMFS and implemented 
through final regulations. The Council's draft Comprehensive SFA 
Amendment amends its FMPs to comply with aforementioned new 
requirements regarding FMP contents established in 1996.
    The draft Comprehensive SFA Amendment contains new discussions on 
the status of the fisheries managed under the FMPs, on bycatch, and on 
recreational fishing. It also contains overfishing definitions and 
stock rebuilding plans for overfished species. Specifically, it 
includes the following overfishing definition for the red hind 
(Epinephelus guttatus):

    A red hind stock is overfished when it is below the level of 45 
percent of the spawning stock biomass per recruit that would occur 
in the absence of fishing. When a red hind stock is overfished, 
overfishing is defined as harvesting at a rate that is not 
consistent with a program that has been established to rebuild the 
stock to the 45 percent spawning stock biomass per recruit level. 
When a red hind stock is not overfished, overfishing is defined as a 
harvesting rate that, if continued, would lead to a state of the 
stock or stock complex that would not at least allow a harvest of OY 
(optimum yield) on a continuing basis.

    This definition may be expanded to include the grouper complex. 
There is no new information available to the Council regarding the 
status of other Caribbean fishery stocks. Because the Comprehensive SFA 
Amendment contains no management measures, no implementing regulations 
will be required.
    The Council hearings will be held at the following locations and 
times:
    Friday, November 6, 1998, from 7-10 p.m., at the Conference Room of 
the Best Western Pierre Hotel, De Diego Avenue, Santurce, Puerto Rico; 
and
    Tuesday, November 10, 1998, from 7-10 p.m., at the Conference Room 
of the Caravelle Hotel, located at 44A Queen Cross St., Christiansted, 
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
    Fishers and other interested persons are invited to attend these 
hearings and participate through oral and/or written statements 
regarding issues concerning the Comprehensive SFA Amendment.

Special Accommodations

    These hearings are open to the public and will be conducted in 
English. The hearings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. For more information or requests for sign language 
interpretation or other auxiliary aids, please contact Mr. Miguel A. 
Rolon at the Council at least 5 days prior to the meeting dates (see 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

    Dated: October 29, 1998.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-29522 Filed 10-30-98; 3:15 pm]
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