[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 12, 2003)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 7080]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3494]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 223

[Docket 020626160-2309-03; I.D. 061902C]
RIN 0648-AQ13


Taking of Threatened or Endangered Species Incidental to 
Commercial Fishing Operations

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

ACTION: Extension of public comment period for interim final rule.

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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is extending the 
public comment period through March 24, 2003 for an interim final rule 
published in the Federal Register on December 24, 2002. The purpose of 
the interim final rule is to prohibit fishing with drift gillnets in 
the California/Oregon (CA/OR) thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet 
fishery in U.S. waters off southern California, south of Point 
Conception (34[deg]27'N.) and west to the 120[deg]W., from August 15 
through August 31, and January 1 through January 31, when the Assistant 
Administrator for Fisheries publishes a notice that El Nino conditions 
are present. The comment period, which originally ended on February 7, 
2003, is being extended to allow for additional public comment.

DATES: Written comments on the above mentioned interim final rule must 
be postmarked or transmitted by facsimile by 5 p.m., Pacific Standard 
Time, on March 24, 2003. Comments transmitted via e-mail or the 
Internet will not be accepted.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the interim final rule should be sent to 
Tim Price, Protected Resources Division, National Marine Fisheries 
Service, Southwest Region, 501 West Ocean Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213. Copies of the Environmental Assessment (EA) and 
biological opinion (BO) are available on the internet at http://swr.ucsd.edu/ or may be obtained from Tim Price, Protected Resources 
Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Region, 501 West 
Ocean Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Price, NMFS, Southwest Region, 
Protected Resources Division, (562) 980-4029.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 24, 2002, NMFS published an 
interim final rule (67 FR 78388) implementing the framework for 
prohibiting fishing with drift gillnets in the California/Oregon (CA/
OR) thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet fishery in U.S. waters off 
southern California, south of Point Conception (34[deg]27'N.) and west 
to the 120[deg]W., from August 15 through August 31, and January 1 
through January 31, when the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries 
publishes a notice that El Nino conditions are present. This interim 
final rule also announced the criteria that will be used for 
determining whether El Nino conditions are present along southern 
California for the purpose of implementing the time and area closure. 
Based on the these criteria, NMFS determined that El Nino conditions 
were not present for purposes of implementing the time and area closure 
for January 2003. In addition, comments were requested on an alternate 
closure that NMFS is evaluating.
    The comment period is being extended in response to a request from 
the public to provide more time to review the loggerhead turtle 
entanglement data and the sea surface temperature data available on the 
NOAA Coastwatch West Coast Regional Node web page at http://cwatchwc.ucsd.edu/.

    Dated: February 7, 2003.
William T. Hogarth,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 03-3494 Filed 2-7-03; 1:52 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S