[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 89 (Wednesday, May 8, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 30879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-11464]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 043002B]


Stock Assessment of Small Coastal Sharks in the U.S. Atlantic and 
Gulf of Mexico

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of a stock assessment report 
on small coastal sharks (SCS) in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, 
prepared by the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center.

ADDRESSES: Written requests for copies of the report 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.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Several species of SCS are caught in 
directed fisheries and as bycatch in the southeastern region of the 
United States. This management group presently includes the Atlantic 
sharpnose, bonnethead, blacknose, and finetooth sharks. The previous 
stock assessment of the SCS complex was conducted over a decade ago and 
the ensuing management plan classified this group as being fully 
utilized. A substantial amount of information has become available 
since then, including biological data, improved fisheries statistics, 
and bycatch estimates from the shrimp trawl fishery. Several new 
fishery-independent and fishery-dependent catch rate series have become 
available and previously developed time series have been extended. The 
report uses this information to assess the status of SCS stocks in the 
southeastern U.S. region.
    The final version of the report is now available on the NMFS 
website (http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hmspg.html). Hard copies of the 
document are available upon request (see ADDRESSES).

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

    Dated: May 2, 2002.
Virginia M. Fay,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-11464 Filed 5-7-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S