[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 139 (Thursday, July 19, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 37634-37635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18104]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[I.D. 071001F]
RIN 0648-AO51


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Fishery Management Plan

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 
Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 11 to the Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP) for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (Amendment 11) 
to NMFS for review, approval, and implementation. Amendment 11 would 
require all shrimp vessels harvesting shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico 
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to obtain an annually renewable Federal 
shrimp vessel permit from NMFS and would prohibit the use of traps in 
the royal red shrimp fishery of the Gulf of Mexico. Written comments 
are requested from the public.

[[Page 37635]]


DATES: Written comments must be received on or before September 17, 
2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be mailed to the Southeast Regional Office, 
NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive N., St. Petersburg, FL 33702. 
Comments may also be sent via fax to 727-522-5583. Comments will not be 
accepted if submitted via e-mail or Internet.
    Copies of Amendment 11, which includes an Environmental Assessment, 
a Regulatory Impact Review, and an Initial Regulatory Flexibility 
Analysis are available from the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 
Council, The Commons at Rivergate, 3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 
1000, Tampa, FL 33619-2266. phone: 813-228-2815; fax: 813-833-1844.
    Written comments regarding the collection-of-information (e.g., 
permits) requirements contained in this document may be submitted to 
Robert Sadler, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 9721 Executive Center 
Drive N., St. Petersburg, FL 33702, and to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 
20503 (Attention: NOAA Desk Officer).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Steven Branstetter, 727-570-5305; 
fax 727-570-5583; e-mail: steve.branstetter&noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires each Regional 
Fishery Management Council to submit any fishery management plan (FMP) 
or amendment to NMFS for review and approval, disapproval, or partial 
approval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires that NMFS, upon 
receiving an FMP or amendment, immediately publish a document in the 
Federal Register stating that the FMP or amendment is available for 
public review and comment.
    The shrimp fishery is the largest fishery in terms of numbers of 
fishing vessels and participants in the Gulf of Mexico, but is one of 
the few federally managed fisheries with no fishing permit requirement. 
Currently, there are limited data available to estimate the number of 
shrimp fishing vessels and fishing effort expended by those vessels in 
the Gulf of Mexico EEZ. Amendment 11 would require all shrimp vessels 
harvesting shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico EEZ to obtain an annually 
renewable Federal shrimp vessel permit from NMFS. In proposing this 
action, the Council concluded that information collected via a Federal 
permit system would aid in the formulation of sound management measures 
for the shrimp fishery and for those finfish fisheries that are 
impacted because of the bycatch and bycatch mortality attributable to 
the shrimp fishery.
    Royal red shrimp have been a small component of the Gulf of Mexico 
shrimp fishery since the early 1960s, traditionally being fished by 
vessels using modified shrimp trawls at depths exceeding 100 fathoms 
(183 meters). The Council concluded that allowing trap gear to be used 
in this fishery would likely lead to gear conflicts and could lead to 
overfishing. At the Council's request, NMFS implemented an emergency 
interim rule prohibiting the use of trap gear in the royal red shrimp 
fishery within the EEZ of the Gulf of Mexico that was promulgated on 
September 19, 2000 (65 FR 56500), and was extended until September 14, 
2001 (66 FR 14862, March 14, 2001).
    A proposed rule that would implement measures contained in 
Amendment 11 has been received from the Council. In accordance with the 
Magnuson-Stevens Act, NMFS is evaluating the proposed rule to determine 
whether it is consistent with the FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and 
other applicable law. If that determination is affirmative, NMFS will 
publish the proposed rule in the Federal Register for public review and 
comment.
    Comments received by September 17, 2001, whether specifically 
directed to the FMP or the proposed rule, will be considered by NMFS in 
its decision to approve, disapprove, or partially approve Amendment 11. 
Comments received after that date will not be considered by NMFS in 
this decision. All comments received by NMFS on Amendment 11 or its 
proposed rule during their respective comment periods will be addressed 
in the final rule.

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

    Dated: July 13, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-18104 Filed 7-18-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S