[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 210 (Tuesday, October 31, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 63749-63750]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18286]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 102006A]


New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils; Public 
Hearings

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils 
(Councils) will convene public hearings and seek public comment on a 
draft amendment to all the fishery management plans (FMPs) under their 
purview. The omnibus amendment would establish standardized bycatch 
reporting methodology (SBRM) for each FMP, as required under the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act).

DATES: The public hearings will be on November 14, 2006, in Gloucester, 
MA, and December 12, 2006, in New York City, NY. Written comments must 
be received at the appropriate address, e-mail address, or fax number 
(see ADDRESSES) by 5 p.m., local time, on December 29, 2006.

ADDRESSES: NMFS and the Councils will accept comments at two public 
hearings. For specific locations, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. You 
may submit comments on the draft amendment by any of the following 
methods:
     E-mail: [email protected]
     Through the Federal eRulemaking portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Reference I.D. 102006A.
     Mail: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator, NOAA 
Fisheries Service, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope: ``Comments on 
SBRM Amendment.''
     Fax: (978) 281-9135, Attention: Patricia A. Kurkul.
    Copies of the draft SBRM amendment and the public hearing document 
may be obtained by contacting the NMFS Northeast Regional Office at the 
above address. The documents are also available via the internet at: 
http://www.nero.noaa.gov/nero/regs/com.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Pentony, Senior Fishery Policy 
Analyst, (978) 281-6283.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 303(a)(11) of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Act requires each FMP to include provisions establishing ``a 
standardized reporting methodology to assess the amount and type of 
bycatch occurring in the fishery.'' The Councils and NMFS are 
considering an omnibus amendment to establish an SBRM or modify 
existing SBRMs under every Northeast Region FMP. The purpose of the 
amendment is to explain the methods and processes by which bycatch is 
currently monitored and assessed for Northeast Region fisheries, to 
determine whether these methods and processes need to be modified and/
or supplemented, to establish standards of precision for bycatch 
estimation for all Northeast Region fisheries and, thereby, to document 
the SBRM established for all fisheries managed through the FMPs of the 
Northeast Region. The scope of the omnibus amendment is limited to 
those fisheries prosecuted in the Federal waters of the Northeast 
Region and managed through an FMP developed by either the Mid-Atlantic 
or New England Council.
    Alternatives under consideration in the omnibus SBRM amendment 
address bycatch reporting and monitoring mechanisms, analytical 
techniques and allocation of at-sea fishery observers, establishment of 
a target level for precision of bycatch estimates, and requirements for 
reviewing and reporting on the efficacy of the SBRM. NMFS and the 
Councils will consider all comments received on the draft SBRM 
amendment and the alternatives for incorporation into the final 
document until the end of the comment period on December 29, 2006. The 
public will have several additional opportunities to comment on the 
SBRM. The final amendment will be considered for approval by the 
Councils at public meetings in February of 2007. Once submitted to 
NMFS, the final SBRM Amendment will be made available for public review 
and comment, and regulations will be proposed for review and comment in 
March 2007.

Meeting Dates, Times, and Locations

    The public hearings have been scheduled to coincide with the date 
and location of New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council 
meetings.
    Tuesday, November 14, 2006, at 5:30 p.m. - Tavern on the Harbor, 30 
Western Ave., Gloucester, MA 01930, telephone: (978) 283-4200.
    Tuesday, December 12, 2006, at 7 p.m. - Skyline Hotel, 725 10th 
Ave, New York, NY 10019, telephone: (212) 586-3400.

Special Accommodations

    These hearings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids at the Gloucester, MA, meeting should be directed to 
Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management 
Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. Requests for 
such services at the New York, NY, meeting should be directed to M. Jan 
Saunders, (302) 674 2331 extension 18. Requests for accessibility 
accommodations must be received at

[[Page 63750]]

least at least 5 days prior to the meeting dates.

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

    Dated: October 25, 2006.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. E6-18286 Filed 10-30-06; 8:45 am]
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