[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 230 (Tuesday, December 1, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 66110-66111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-31996]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 111998B]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery, Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery, and Atlantic Salmon 
Fishery; Fishery Management Plan (FMP) Amendments to Designate 
Essential Fish Habitat (EFH)

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of an omnibus amendment to FMPs; request 
for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the New England Fishery Management Council 
(NEFMC) has submitted for review and approval by the Secretary of 
Commerce (Secretary) an omnibus amendment that includes Amendment 11 to 
the Northeast Multispecies FMP, Amendment 9 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop 
FMP, and Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Salmon FMP. The document also 
includes Amendment 1 to the Monkfish FMP prepared jointly by NEFMC and 
the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC). Because MAFMC has 
not yet adopted Monkfish Amendment 1, the FMP amendment is not being 
considered for Secretarial approval at this time. Finally, the omnibus 
amendment includes the EFH components of the

[[Page 66111]]

Atlantic Herring FMP that is being developed by the NEFMC. The EFH 
information for Atlantic Herring will be incorporated by reference into 
the Atlantic Herring FMP when that FMP is submitted for Secretarial 
approval. These EFH provisions implement the requirements of section 
303(a)(7) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The omnibus amendment describes and 
identifies EFH for the specified fisheries, discusses measures to 
address the effects of fishing on EFH, and identifies other actions for 
the conservation and enhancement of EFH. The amendment includes no new 
fishery management measures, so no regulations are proposed.

DATES: Public comments must be received on or before February 1, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Comments on this amendment should be sent to Jon C. 
Rittgers, Acting Regional Administrator, One Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930-2298. Please mark the outside of the envelope: 
``Comments on Essential Fish Habitat Amendment.''
    Copies of the amendment and the environmental assessment are 
available from the Executive Director, New England Fishery Management 
Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906-1036.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan M. Kurland, Assistant Habitat 
Program Coordinator, 978-281-9204.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that each 
Regional Fishery Management Council submit any FMP or FMP amendment it 
prepares to NMFS for review and approval, disapproval, or partial 
approval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires that NMFS, upon 
receiving an FMP or FMP amendment, immediately publish a notice in the 
Federal Register that the FMP or amendment is available for public 
review and comment. Therefore, NMFS solicits comments on the approval, 
disapproval, or partial approval of these amendments.
    The portions of the omnibus EFH amendment that NMFS presently is 
considering for approval would designate EFH in waters of the United 
States for 14 species of groundfish, as well as Atlantic sea scallops 
and Atlantic salmon. The MAFMC has not yet adopted Monkfish Amendment 
1. Once adopted, the NEFMC will submit Amendment 1 for Secretarial 
review and a notice of availability will be published in the Federal 
Register. The omnibus amendment also includes the EFH components of the 
Atlantic Herring FMP that is being developed by NEFMC. The EFH 
information for herring will be incorporated by reference into the 
Atlantic Herring FMP when that FMP is submitted for Secretarial review 
and a notice of availability will be published in the Federal Register. 
NMFS will consider approval, disapproval, or partial approval of 
Amendment 1 to the Monkfish FMP and the EFH components of the Atlantic 
Herring FMP separately after their submission by the NEFMC, following 
separate notices of availability.
    The omnibus amendment would also designate Habitat Areas of 
Particular Concern (HAPC) for Atlantic salmon and juvenile Atlantic cod 
in accordance with 50 CFR 600.815(a)(9). Although no new management 
measures are proposed for these HAPC, the Atlantic cod HAPC would be 
protected from potential adverse effects from fishing by maintaining 
the existing restrictions on fishing for the region known as Closed 
Area II on Georges Bank, pursuant to 50 CFR 648.81(b). In addition to 
the original rationale for implementing Closed Area II in 1994 
(reducing overfishing of severely depleted groundfish stocks, as noted 
in the preamble to the emergency interim rule published in the Federal 
Register on December 12, 1994 (59 FR 63926)), under the omnibus 
amendment these management measures would be retained for habitat 
protection reasons.
    NMFS solicits comments on the approval, disapproval, or partial 
approval on Amendment 11 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP, Amendment 9 
to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP, and Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Salmon 
FMP. To be considered, comments must be received by close of business 
on February 1, 1999; that does not mean postmarked or otherwise 
transmitted by that date.

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

    Dated: November 24, 1998.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-31996 Filed 11-30-98; 8:45 am]
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