[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 42 (Thursday, March 4, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10438-10439]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5281]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 285, 600, 630, 635, 644, and 678

[I.D. 071698B; 010799A]


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS Fisheries); Fishery 
Management Plan, Plan Amendment and Consolidation of Regulations

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of the comment period; additional 
public hearing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On January 20, 1999, NMFS requested comments on a draft 
Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish and Sharks (HMS 
FMP), and draft Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Billfish FMP, and the 
proposed rule that would implement these FMPs. On February 25, NMFS 
announced the availability of an addendum to the HMS FMP and published 
a supplemental proposed rule to implement the addendum. Comments on all 
documents were requested by March 4, 1999. NMFS hereby extends the 
public comment period from March 4, 1999, to March 12, 1999, except for 
proposed import restrictions for swordfish. NMFS also announces an 
additional public hearing during the extended comment period.

DATES: Comments on the draft HMS FMP and its addendum, Amendment 1 to 
the Billfish FMP, and their proposed implementing regulations must be 
received by March 12, 1999. An additional public hearing will be held 
in Spray Beach, NJ, on March 11, 1999, from 7 to 10 p.m.

ADDRESSES: To submit comments on, or to obtain copies of, the draft HMS 
FMP, the Addendum to the draft HMS FMP, draft Amendment 1 to the 
Billfish FMP, the proposed rule, supplemental proposed rule and 
supporting documents, including the revised Initial Regulatory 
Flexibility Analysis, or a summary of these items, contact Rebecca 
Lent, Chief, Highly Migratory Species Management Division, Office of 
Sustainable Fisheries (F/SF1), NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910-3282, phone (301) 713-2347, fax (301) 713-1917. Copies 
of the addendum and supplement are also available on the Sustainable 
Fisheries Act web site at www.nmfs.gov/sfa/hms/hmspg.html. Send 
comments regarding the burden-hour estimates or other aspects of the 
collection-of-information requirements contained in this proposed rule 
to Rebecca Lent and to the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, DC 20503 
(Attention: NOAA Desk Officer).
    The hearing location is the Spray Beach Inn, Oceanfront 
and 24th Street, Spray Beach, NJ 08004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat Scida regarding tuna issues at 
(978) 281-9260; Jill Stevenson regarding swordfish issues at (301) 713-
2347; Margo Schulze regarding shark issues at (301) 713-2347; Buck 
Sutter regarding billfish issues at (727) 570-5447; Karyl Brewster-
Geisz regarding limited access at (301) 713-2347; and Chris Rogers 
regarding the regulatory consolidation at (301) 713-2347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 9, 1998 (63 FR 54433), NMFS 
announced the availability of draft Amendment 1 to the Billfish FMP, 
and on October 26, 1998, NMFS announced the availability of the draft 
HMS FMP (63 FR 57093). Information regarding the management of HMS 
under the HMS and Billfish FMPs was provided in the preamble to the 
proposed rule to implement those FMPs (64 FR 3154, January 20, 1999) 
and is not repeated here. NMFS indicated that the preferred alternative 
for western Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) rebuilding would be identified 
following the November 1998 meeting of the International Commission for 
the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), that the preferred 
alternative and associated analyses would be published as an addendum 
to the draft HMS FMP, and that proposed measures to implement the 
preferred rebuilding alternative would be published in a supplement to 
the proposed rule. The supplement to the proposed rule (February 25, 
1999; 64 FR 9298) would implement the rebuilding and bycatch reduction 
measures of the FMP Addendum and would specify BFT General category 
effort controls for the 1999 fishing season and clarify mandatory data 
collection requirements.
    In response to public requests that additional time is needed to 
review the above-referenced documents and prepare responses, NMFS 
hereby extends the comment period to March 12, 1999.
    Specific provisions in the proposed rule regarding swordfish import 
restrictions had been previously proposed on October 13, 1998 (63 FR 
54661). These provisions were restated in the proposed rule to 
implement the HMS FMP due to the consolidated format of the new 50 CFR 
part 635 regulations for HMS. Because the public comment period on 
swordfish import restrictions has been adequate, and NMFS must begin 
implementation of import monitoring, NMFS intends to finalize these 
regulations under 50 CFR part 630. The final import restriction 
regulations will subsequently be incorporated into 50 CFR part 635 when 
the final consolidated regulations are issued.

Special Accommodations

    This hearing is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Rebecca Lent (see ADDRESSES) at least 7 days 
prior to the hearing.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.


[[Page 10439]]


    Dated: February 26, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-5281 Filed 3-1-99; 9:57 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F