[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 16, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 7820]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3724]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 991104295-9295-01; I.D. 100599D]
RIN 0648-AM74


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Dealer and Vessel 
Reporting Requirements; Reopening of Comment Period

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of the comment period.

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SUMMARY: NMFS reopens the public comment period on a proposed rule to 
amend the existing reporting requirements for dealers and for vessels 
issued a Federal permit to operate in the summer flounder, scup, black 
sea bass, Atlantic sea scallop, Northeast (NE) multispecies, monkfish, 
Atlantic mackerel, squid and butterfish, surf clam or ocean quahog 
fisheries. The provisions of this proposed rule would also be 
applicable to dealers of spiny dogfish, Atlantic herring and Atlantic 
bluefish and vessels federally permitted in the spiny dogfish, Atlantic 
bluefish, and Atlantic herring fisheries when regulations implementing 
the Spiny Dogfish FMP, Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Bluefish FMP, and 
the Atlantic Herring FMP go into effect. NMFS is reopening the comment 
period to ensure that affected fishers and dealers are aware of the 
proposed reporting changes and have an opportunity to provide comments. 
Proposed changes include: Increasing the retention schedule for dealer 
and vessel records; requiring federally-permitted dealers to complete 
all sections of the Annual Processed Products Report; clarifying that a 
vessel logbook report must be submitted for each trip taken, not for 
each day fished; amplifying the existing requirement that vessel 
logbook reports must be completed prior to entering port with fish; 
specifying that the pounds recorded on the vessel logbook reports 
should be the hail weight, by species, of all fish landed or discarded; 
adding definitions for ``hail weight,'' ``serial number,'' and ``trip 
identifier;'' requiring vessel owners/operators to provide trip 
identifier information to dealers; and clarifying the submission 
schedule for surf clam and ocean quahog dealer and vessel reports.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before 5:00 p.m., local time, on 
March 2, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the proposed rule should be sent to 
Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS, One 
Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the 
envelope, ``Comments on Proposed Rule for Dealer and Vessel 
Reporting.'' Comments also may be sent via facsimile (fax) to (978) 
281-9161. Comments will not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or 
Internet.
    Comments on the burden hour estimates for collection-of-information 
requirements contained in this proposed rule should be sent to Patricia 
A. Kurkul and to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Attention: NOAA Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, 
Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelley McGrath, (978) 281-9307 or 
Gregory Power, (978) 281-9304.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations implementing the FMPs for 
fisheries of the Northeastern United States were prepared under the 
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act and are found at 50 CFR part 648. The provisions of this proposed 
rule, if approved and implemented, would also be applicable to dealers 
of spiny dogfish, herring, and bluefish, and to vessels federally 
permitted in the spiny dogfish, Atlantic bluefish and Atlantic herring 
fisheries when regulations implementing the Spiny Dogfish FMP, 
Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Bluefish FMP, and Atlantic Herring FMP go 
into effect.
    The proposed rule for this action was published in the Federal 
Register on December 2, 1999 (64 FR 67551). The comment period on the 
proposed rule ended on January 3, 2000. During the public comment 
period, NMFS received two comments from dealers and no comments from 
fishers regarding the proposed changes to the reporting regulations. 
Because the lack of industry response may be an indication that 
industry members were not sufficiently aware of the proposed reporting 
changes, NMFS is reopening the comment period to allow the public 
additional time to review and comment on the proposed rule. The public 
comment period is reopened for the period February 16, 2000, through 
March 2, 2000.

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

    Dated: February 10, 2000.
Andrew A. Rosenberg,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 00-3724 Filed 2-15-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F