[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 192 (Thursday, October 3, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 62001-62002]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-25171]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 092402E]
RIN 0648-AP87


Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery; Amendment 10

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

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

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council 
(Council) has submitted Amendment 10 to the Coastal Pelagic Species 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Secretarial review. Amendment 10 
addresses the two unrelated subjects of the transferability of limited 
entry permits and maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for market squid. 
Only the subject of permit transfer requires regulatory action. The 
purpose is to establish the procedures by which limited entry permits 
can be transferred to other vessels and/or individuals so that the 
holders of the permits have maximum flexibility in their fishing 
operations while the goals of the FMP are achieved.

DATES: Comments on Amendment 10 must be received on or before December 
2, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments on Amendment 10 should be sent to Rodney R. 
McInnis, Acting Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean 
Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802.
    Copies of Amendment 10, which includes an environmental assessment/
regulatory impact review, and determination of the impact on small 
businesses are available from Donald O. McIssac, Executive Director, 
Pacific Fishery Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 224, 
Portland, OR, 97201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Morgan, Sustainable Fisheries 
Division, NMFS, at 562-980-4036 or Daniel Waldeck, Pacific Fishery 
Management Council, at 503-326-6352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires each Regional 
Fishery Management Council to submit a fishery management plan or plan 
amendment to NMFS for review and approval, disapproval, or partial 
approval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires that NMFS, upon 
receiving a fishery management plan or plan amendment, immediately 
publish notification in the Federal Register that the fishery 
management plan or plan amendment is available for public review and 
comment. NMFS will consider the public comments received during the 
comment period described above in determining whether to approve, 
disapprove, or partially approve the fishery management plan or plan 
amendment.
    Amendment 10 would establish an optimum level of harvesting 
capacity for the limited entry fleet, provide for the transfer of 
limited entry permits according to specific criteria so that the 
harvesting capacity goal is not exceeded, and establish a process for 
the possible consideration of new limited entry permits under certain 
conditions in the future. The purpose of these measures is to ensure 
that fishing capacity in the limited entry fishery is in balance with 
resource availability while giving the fishing industry flexibility in 
its business ventures.
    Amendment 10 to the FMP improves upon Amendment 8 to the FMP. 
Amendment 10 provides a proxy for MSY for market squid, whereas 
Amendment 8 did not provide an MSY for market squid. The proxy for MSY 
for market squid is based on a method of determining egg escapement of 
the species. NMFS recommended using this approach to monitor the 
fishery, after NMFS examined the historical landings and the range of 
the species and determined that these data did not provide the desired 
information to monitor the harvest of market squid.
    Public comments on Amendment 10 must be received by December 2, 
2002, to be considered by NMFS when NMFS decides whether to approve, 
disapprove, or partially approve Amendment 10. A proposed rule to 
implement Amendment 10 has been submitted for Secretarial review and 
approval. NMFS expects to publish and request public comment on the 
proposed regulation to

[[Page 62002]]

implement Amendment 10 in the near future.

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

    Dated: September 27, 2002.
Virginia M. Fay,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-25171 Filed 10-2-02; 8:45 am]
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