[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 175 (Friday, September 8, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54474-54475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23132]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[Docket No. 000824247-0247-01; I.D. 080200A]
RIN 0648-AO39


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Shrimp Fishery Off the Southern Atlantic States; Control Date

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

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking; consideration of a 
control date.

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SUMMARY: This document announces that the South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council (Council) is considering whether there is a need to 
impose additional management measures limiting entry into the 
commercial penaeid shrimp fishery in the South Atlantic exclusive 
economic zone (EEZ) and, if there is a need, what management measures 
should be imposed. If the Council and NMFS determine that there is a 
need to impose additional management measures, a rulemaking to do so 
may be initiated. Possible measures include the establishment of a 
limited entry program to control participation or effort in this 
fishery. This document intends to inform the public that the Council is 
establishing a control date of September 8, 2000. Anyone entering the 
fishery after the control date would not be assured of future access 
should a management regime that limits the number of participants in 
the fishery be prepared and implemented. The document also intends to 
discourage new entry into the fishery based on economic speculation 
during the Council's deliberation on the issues.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by October 10, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to the South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council, One Southpark Circle, Suite 306, Charleston, South 
Carolina 29407-4699; telephone: 843-571-4366; fax: 843-769-4520; email: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Steve Branstetter 727-570-5305; 
email: [email protected] or Mr. Roger Pugliese 843-571-4366; 
email: [email protected].



[[Page 54475]]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    The commercial penaeid shrimp fishery in the South Atlantic Region 
is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of 
the South Atlantic Region (FMP) as prepared by the South Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council (Council) and approved and implemented by 
NMFS. The FMP is implemented under the authority of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act by regulations at 50 
CFR part 622.
    The Council has concerns about increasing shrimping effort in the 
South Atlantic EEZ and wants to prevent the possibility of the 
development of an excess harvesting capacity for the shrimp fishery of 
the region. At its June 2000 meeting, the Council voted unanimously to 
establish a control date for the commercial penaeid shrimp fishery in 
the South Atlantic EEZ and requested that NMFS notify the industry by 
publishing notification of the control date in the Federal Register. 
Accordingly, NMFS publishes this document to notify the industry that 
September 8, 2000 is the control date for the commercial penaeid shrimp 
fishery in the South Atlantic EEZ. Implementation of any program that 
limits participation or effort in the penaeid shrimp fishery would 
require preparation of an FMP amendment followed by Secretarial review, 
approval, and implementation. Secretarial review involves publication 
of a notice of availability of the FMP amendment and of a proposed 
rule, with pertinent public comment periods.
    Establishment of a control date does not commit the Council or NMFS 
to any particular management regime or criteria for entry into this 
fishery. Fishermen are not guaranteed future participation in the 
fishery regardless of their entry date or intensity of participation in 
the fishery before or after the control date under consideration. The 
Council may choose to use a different control date or a management 
regime that does not make use of such a date or to give variably 
weighted consideration to fishermen active in the fishery before and 
after the control date. Other qualifying criteria, such as 
documentation of landings and sales, may be applied for entry. The 
Council may also choose to take no further action to control entry or 
access to the fishery, in which case the control date may be rescinded.
    This advanced notice of proposed rulemaking has been determined to 
be not significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.

    Authority: 6 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: September 1, 2000.
William T. Hogarth,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-23132 Filed 9-7-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S