[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 5, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 776]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-214]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 229

[Docket No. 041108310-4362-02; I.D. 100104H]
RIN 0648-AS78


List of Fisheries for 2005

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On December 2, 2004, the proposed List of Fisheries (LOF) for 
2005 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) was published in the 
Federal Register. NMFS is extending the comment period on this proposed 
LOF to March 4, 2005.

DATES: Comments must be received by March 4, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Chief, Marine Mammal Conservation Division, 
Attn: List of Fisheries, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Comments may also be sent 
via email to [email protected] or the Federal eRulemaking 
portal: http://www.regulations.gov (Follow instructions for submitting 
comments).
    Comments regarding the burden-hour estimates, or any other aspect 
of the collection of information requirements contained in the proposed 
rule, should be submitted in writing to the Chief, Marine Mammal 
Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-
West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 and to David Rostker, OMB, by e-
mail at [email protected] or by fax to 202-395-7285.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristy Long, Office of Protected 
Resources, 301-713-1401; Kim Thounhurst, Northeast Region, 978-281-
9328; Juan Levesque, Southeast Region, 727-570-5312; Cathy Campbell, 
Southwest Region, 562-980-4060; Brent Norberg, Northwest Region, 206-
526-6733; Bridget Mansfield, Alaska Region, 907-586-7642. Individuals 
who use a telecommunications device for the hearing impaired may call 
the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. 
and 4 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal 
holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 2, 2004, the proposed List of 
Fisheries for 2005 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act was published 
in the Federal Register (69 FR 70094). NMFS must categorize each 
commercial fishery on the LOF into one of three categories under the 
MMPA based on the level of serious injury and mortality of marine 
mammals that occurs incidental to the fishery. NMFS must publish in the 
Federal Register any necessary changes to the LOF after notice and 
opportunity for public comment. In the proposed LOF for 2005, NMFS 
proposed several fishery classification, fishery name, and 
organizational changes. In particular, NMFS proposed to reclassify the 
California/Oregon thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet ([gteqt]14 in. 
mesh) from Category II (occasional incidental mortality and serious 
injury) to Category I (frequent incidental mortality and serious 
injury) and to reclassify the Northeast bottom trawl, Mid-Atlantic 
bottom trawl, and five Alaska fisheries from Category III (remote 
likelihood of or no known incidental mortality and serious injury) to 
Category II. The five Alaska fisheries include the following: Bering 
Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) flatfish trawl, BSAI Greenland turbot 
longline, BSAI pollock trawl, Bering Sea sablefish pot, and Gulf of 
Alaska Pacific cod longline. Because the comment period coincides with 
the holiday season, several commenters have already requested an 
extension of the comment period to adequately review NMFS' proposed 
changes to the LOF. In addition, NMFS intends to prepare an 
environmental assessment on the LOF. Therefore, NMFS is extending the 
public comment period on the proposed LOF for 2005 from January 3, 
2005, to March 4, 2005.

    Dated: December 29, 2004.
John Oliver,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-214 Filed 1-4-05; 8:45 am]
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