[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 22, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44121-44122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-21093]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 081501D]


Draft Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research (2001)

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 the availability of and seeks public comment on 
the draft Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research (2001). The Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA) requires the 
Secretary of Commerce to develop, triennially, a strategic plan for 
fisheries research for the subsequent years. Any written comments on 
the draft plan will be considered by NMFS in the development of the 
final Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research (2001).

DATES: Comments on the draft Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research 
(2001) will be accepted on or before September 21, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments on and requests for copies of the draft Strategic 
Plan for Fisheries Research (2001) should be directed to John T. 
Everett, Chief, Research, Analysis, and Coordination Division, Office 
of Science and Technology, NMFS, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910. PHONE: (301) 713-2363. FAX: (301) 713-1875.
    The NMFS draft Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research (2001) may be 
reviewed in its entirety on the World Wide Web at http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st2/index.html

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Everett or Mark Chandler at 301-
713-2363 ext. 152.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 404 of the MSFCMA requires the 
Secretary of Commerce to publish in the Federal Register a strategic 
plan for fisheries research for the five years immediately following 
the it's publication. The MSFCMA requires that the plan address four 
major areas of research: (1) Research to support fishery conservation 
and management; (2) conservation engineering research; (3) research on 
the fisheries; and (4) information management research. The MSFCMA 
specifies that the plan shall contain a limited number of priority 
objectives for each of these research

[[Page 44122]]

areas; indicate goals and timetables; provide a role for commercial 
fishermen in such research; provide for collection and dissemination of 
complete and accurate information concerning fishing activities; and be 
developed in cooperation with the Councils and affected states.
    In 1997, the NOAA Fisheries Strategic Plan (FSP) was published. The 
FSP was developed in a comprehensive manner, with extraordinary public 
involvement, including 16 public meetings. The following year, NMFS 
released the Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research (1998). Both the 
original (1998) and the updated (2001) Strategic Plans for Fisheries 
Research are based upon and entirely consistent with the FSP. Many of 
the objectives found under the ``Major Fishery Research Objectives and 
Goals'' section of the subject document can be matched with those in 
the FSP.
    The scope of the Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research (2001) is 
solely fisheries research to support the MSFCMA. It does not include 
the regulatory and enforcement components of the NMFS mission. NMFS 
currently conducts a comprehensive program of fisheries research and 
involves industry and others interested in fisheries in planning and 
implementing its objectives.
    NMFS intends that the final version of the Strategic Plan for 
Fisheries Research (2001) will take advantage of information and 
recommendations from all interested parties. Therefore, comments and 
suggestions on this draft NMFS Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research 
are hereby solicited from the public, other concerned government 
agencies, the scientific community, industry, and any other person.

    Dated: August 15, 2001.
William Fox, Jr.,
Director Office of Science and Technology, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 01-21093 Filed 8-21-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S