[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73017-73018]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33856]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 120999G]


National Plan of Action for the Reduction of Incidental Catch of 
Seabirds in Longline Fisheries

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; schedule change; public meeting; 
request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The United States, through a collaborative effort of NMFS and 
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), announces the availability of a 
draft National Plan of Action for the Reduction of Incidental Catch of 
Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (NPOA-Seabirds). The United States, 
through

[[Page 73018]]

NMFS, also announces a schedule change for the NPOA-Seabirds. NMFS will 
host a public meeting to receive comments from members of the public on 
the draft NPOA-Seabirds. To accommodate people unable to attend a 
meeting or wishing to provide written comments, NMFS solicits written 
comments on the NPOA-Seabirds.

DATES: A public hearing on the NPOA-Seabirds will be held at 3:00 p.m. 
on January 19, 2000. Submit comments on the NPOA-Seabirds to the 
appropriate address or fax number by 5:00 p.m. on January 18, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at NOAA-NMFS Headquarters, 
1315 East-West Highway, SSMC3 Room 14836, Silver Spring, MD 20910. 
Comments on the NPOA-Seabirds may be sent to David Kerstetter, NOAA-
NMFS/SF4, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, or by fax to 
301-713-2313. Comments will not be accepted via e-mail or internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Kerstetter, 301-713-2276, ext. 
107, or fax 301-713-2313.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States, through a collaborative 
effort of NMFS and the FWS, is developing a NPOA-Seabirds pursuant to 
the endorsement of the International Plan of Action for the Reduction 
of Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries by the Food and 
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Committee on Fisheries 
(COFI) Meeting in February 1999. The United States has committed itself 
to developing this NPOA-Seabirds and reporting to COFI on its 
implementation no later than 2001.
    A previous Federal Register document dated September 8, 1999 (64 FR 
48987), provided a tentative time frame for the completion of this 
project and an outline of the contents of the NPOA-Seabirds. The time 
frame has been revised as provided here, and the structure of the NPOA-
Seabirds, but not the content, has been changed. Public comments 
received regarding this September 8, 1999, document will be addressed 
in the notice of availability of the final NPOA-Seabirds.

Time Frame:

NPOA-Seabirds

    December 27, 1999: Release draft NPOA-Seabirds for public comment 
via posting of the document on the NMFS web site (www.nmfs.gov). The 
document will also be provided in hard copy upon request (see 
ADDRESSES).
    January 2000: Public comment period on draft NPOA-Seabirds.
    January 19, 2000: Public meeting on NPOA-Seabirds.
    February 2000: Release final NPOA-Seabirds via a Federal Register 
notice of availability and posting on the NMFS web site (www.nmfs.gov). 
The document will also be provided in hard copy upon request (see 
ADDRESSES).

Special Accommodations

    The public meeting is physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to David Kerstetter (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 7 days prior to the meeting.

    Dated: December 22, 1999.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-33856 Filed 12-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F