[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 83 (Tuesday, April 30, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 21206-21207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10598]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 041802C]
RIN 0648-AP76


Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Deep-
Sea Red Crab Fishery; Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery Management 
Plan

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of a fishery management plan; request 
for comments.

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[[Page 21207]]

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the New England Fishery Management Council 
(Council) has submitted the Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) for Secretarial review and is requesting comments 
from the public. The FMP is intended to prevent overfishing and 
maintain fleet capacity appropriate to the resource abundance.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 1, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the FMP should be sent to Patricia A. Kurkul, 
Regional Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, One Blackburn 
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope, 
``Comments on Red Crab FMP.''
    Copies of the FMP, its Regulatory Impact Review (RIR) and the 
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA), and the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) are available from Paul J. 
Howard, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council 
(Council), 50 Water Street, The Tannery - Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 
01950.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: E. Martin Jaffe, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, 978-281-9272, fax 978-281-9135.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FMP proposes an overfishing definition 
and implementation of the following measures: A target total allowable 
catch (TAC) level for the management area; a procedure for the 
development and revision of annual specifications; a framework 
adjustment process; a limited access program for the directed fishery; 
trip limits and incidental harvest allowances; permitting and reporting 
requirements, including an automated Interactive Voice Response (IVR) 
reporting system for limited access vessels; a Days-at-Sea (DAS) 
allocation effort control program; gear restrictions and gear marking 
requirements; trap/pot limits; restrictions on processing at sea; 
restrictions on retaining and landing female crabs in the directed 
fishery; mutilation restrictions; and other measures for administration 
and enforcement.
    A proposed rule that would implement the FMP may be published in 
the Federal Register for public comment, following NMFS' evaluation of 
the proposed rule under the procedures of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. 
Public comments on the proposed rule must be received by the end of the 
comment period on the FMP to be considered in the approval/disapproval 
decision on the FMP. All comments received by July 1, 2002, whether 
specifically directed to the FMP or the proposed rule, will be 
considered in the approval/disapproval decision on the FMP. Comments 
received after that date will not be considered in the decision to 
approve or disapprove the FMP.

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

    Dated: April 25, 2002.
John H. Dunnigan,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 02-10598 Filed 4-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S