[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 151 (Friday, August 4, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 47968]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-19846]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 062300A]


National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of 
Sharks

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft plan.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of a draft National Plan of 
Action (NPOA) developed pursuant to the endorsement of the 
International Plan of Action (IPOA) for the Conservation and Management 
of Sharks by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization 
Committee on Fisheries (COFI) Ministerial Meeting in February 1999. 
NMFS has prepared this draft plan based on consultation with scientific 
and technical experts and certain Federal and state agencies. Members 
of the public are encouraged to provide comments on the draft NPOA.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than September 30, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests for copies of the draft NPOA 
should be sent to Margo Schulze-Haugen, Highly Migratory Species 
Management Division (F/SF1), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), 
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, or may be sent via 
facsimile (fax) to 301-713-1917. Comments will not be accepted if 
submitted via e-mail or internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margo Schulze-Haugen or Karyl 
Brewster-Geisz, (301) 713-2347; fax (301) 713-1917.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Noting the increased concern about the 
expanding catches of sharks and their potential negative impacts on 
shark populations, the IPOA calls on member nations to voluntarily 
develop national plans to ensure the conservation and management of 
sharks for their long-term sustainable use by applying the 
precautionary approach. Member nations are encouraged to develop and 
implement an NPOA if their vessels conduct directed fisheries for 
sharks or if their vessels regularly catch sharks incidentally in 
fisheries for other species. Specifically, the IPOA calls on member 
nations to ensure that shark catches from directed and incidental 
fisheries are sustainable; assess threats to shark populations; protect 
critical habitats; provide special attention to vulnerable or 
threatened shark stocks; minimize unutilized incidental catches of 
sharks; encourage full use of dead sharks; improve species-specific 
catch and landings data and monitoring of shark catches; and consult 
with stakeholders in research, management, and educational initiatives 
within and between member nations. The United States has committed to 
developing this national plan, and reporting on its implementation to 
COFI, no later than the 25th COFI session in February 2001.
    A proposed schedule, outline, background, and rationale were 
published in the Federal Register on September 30, 1999 (64 FR 52772). 
A revised schedule was published in the Federal Register on March 27, 
2000 (65 FR 16186).


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

    Dated: July 31, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-19846 Filed 8-3-00; 8:45 am]
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