[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 222 (Wednesday, November 18, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 64032-64033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30836]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 110998F]
RIN 0648-AJ33


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 7 to the 
Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan; Amendments to Address the 
Sustainable Fisheries Act Requirements and Other Measures

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 New England Fishery Management Council 
(Council) has submitted Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery 
Management Plan (Amendment 7) for Secretarial review and is requesting 
comments from the public. Included in Amendment 7 are the new 
Sustainable Fisheries Act requirements for Atlantic sea scallops.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 19, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed amendment should be sent to Jon C. 
Rittgers, Acting Regional Administrator, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, 
MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope, ``Comments on Amendment 7 
to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP.''
    Copies of Amendment 7, its regulatory impact review, initial 
regulatory flexibility analysis, the final supplemental environmental 
impact statement, and the supporting documents for Amendment 7 are 
available from Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, New England Fishery 
Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906-1036.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul H. Jones, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
978-281-9273.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Amendment 7 proposes to: (1) Establish a 10-
year stock rebuilding schedule; (2) initiate a new overfishing 
definition and rebuilding target for Atlantic sea scallops; (3) revise 
the specification of optimum yield; (4) continue the Mid-Atlantic 
closed areas, with a sunset date of March 1, 2001; (5) implement a 
system for closing and opening areas to improve yield per recruit; (6) 
establish an annual monitoring and adjustment

[[Page 64033]]

system to ensure stock rebuilding; and (7) add measures to those that 
the Council may implement through the framework adjustment process.
    A proposed rule that would implement Amendment 7 may be published 
in the Federal Register for public comment, following NMFS' evaluation 
of the proposed rule under the procedures of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Public comments on the 
proposed rule must be received by the end of the comment period on 
Amendment 7 to be considered in the approval/disapproval decision on 
the FMP amendment. All comments received by January 19, 1999, whether 
specifically directed to the FMP amendment or the proposed rule, will 
be considered in the approval/disapproval decision. Comments received 
after that date will not be considered in the approval/disapproval 
decision on the FMP amendment.

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

    Dated: November 12, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-30836 Filed 11-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F