[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 218 (Monday, November 13, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 66154-66155]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-9176]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 635

[I.D. 091106B]
RIN 0648-AU84


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Commercial Shark 
Management Measures

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This action extends the comment period for an October 5, 2006, 
proposed rule regarding the first 2007 fishing season for Atlantic 
sharks to November 17, 2006. This extension is due to late dealer 
reports that significantly changed landings estimates of large and 
small coastal sharks during the first trimester of 2006. This action 
releases the revised landings estimates.

DATES: The deadline for written comments on the October 5, 2006 (71 FR 
58778), proposed rule has been extended from November 13 to no later 
than 5 p.m. on November 17, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the proposed rule may be submitted to 
Michael Clark, Highly Migratory Species Management Division via:
     E-mail: [email protected]. 
     Mail: 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. 
Please mark on the outside of the envelope ``Comments on Proposed Rule 
for 2007 1st Trimester Season Lengths and Quotas''.
     Fax: 301-713-1917.
     Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Include in the subject line the following identifier: ``I.D. 091106B''.
    Copies of the associated draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and 
other relevant documents are available on the Highly Migratory Species 
Management Division's Web site at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms or 
by contacting Michael Clark (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Clark or Karyl Brewster-Geisz 
by phone: 301-713-2347 or by fax: 301-713-1917.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic shark fishery is managed under 
the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). NMFS recently finalized a 
Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan (HMS FMP) 
that consolidated and replaced previous FMPs for Atlantic Billfish and 
Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks (October 2, 2006; 71 FR 58058). 
The HMS FMP is implemented by regulations at 50 CFR part 635.
    On October 5, 2006, NMFS published a proposed rule (71 FR 58778) 
that requested comments on the draft EA and scheduled three public 
hearings throughout October 2006 to receive comments from fishery 
participants and other members of the public regarding the first 2007 
fishing season for Atlantic sharks. On October 20, 2006, NMFS was 
notified that the Southeast Fishery Science Center (SEFSC) had not 
received all of the dealer reports for the 2006 first trimester, and 
that some landings had not been accounted for in the proposed rule or 
in previously released landing updates. Based on late dealer reports 
that had the potential to change landings estimates of large and small 
coastal sharks in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic during the 
first trimester of 2006, NMFS notified the public (71 FR 64213; 
November 1, 2006) that NMFS was receiving late landing reports and 
extended the comment period from November 1, 2006, to 5 p.m. on 
November 13, 2006.
    Since October 20, NMFS has been working to ensure that revised 
estimates are accurate; however, some dealers still have not reported. 
Due to the additional landing reports received by SEFSC, total landings 
of LSC and small coastal sharks (SCS) in the GOM and South Atlantic 
have increased. Revised landings from reports received as of November 
6, 2006, are summarized in Table 1. A side-by-side comparison of the 
landings published in the proposed rule (71 FR 58778; October 5, 2006) 
and the revised estimates received from NMFS Southeast Fisheries 
Science Center (SEFSC) on November 6, 2006 are presented in Table 2.

[[Page 66155]]



Table 1.--Revised Landing Estimates for the 2006 First Trimester Season From the Pelagic Dealer Compliance (PDC)
                                and the Automated Landings Reporting System (ALS)
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                                                                             2006 1st
                                                         Season closure       Season     Estimated     Percent
         Species groups                  Region               date          quota  (mt    landings   quota taken
                                                                               dw)        (mt dw)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Gulf of Mexico.....  CLOSED April 15...        222.8        336.6        151.1
Large Coastal Sharks............  South Atlantic.....  CLOSED March 15...        141.3        393.1        278.2
                                  North Atlantic.....  CLOSED April 30...          5.3          0.2          3.8
                                  Gulf of Mexico.....  ..................         14.8         78.0          527
Small Coastal Sharks............  South Atlantic.....  CLOSED April 30...        284.6         44.5         15.6
                                  North Atlantic.....  ..................         18.7          0.0            0
Blue Sharks.....................  ...................  ..................         91.0         0.04            0
Porbeagle Sharks................  No Regional Quotas.  CLOSED April 30...         30.7          0.5          1.5
Other Pelagics..................  ...................  ..................        162.7         19.9         12.2
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  Table 2.--A Comparison of LCS and SCS Landings Published in the October 5, 2006 Proposed Rule and the Revised
                                  Landings Estimates Received November 6, 2006
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                                                                                         Under (+)     Revised
                                                   2006 1st   Landings in    Revised    and  over (-  under (+)
                                                    Season      proposed     landings    )  harvest  and  over (-
        Species groups              Region        quota (mt     rule (mt   as of  11/6/ in proposed   ) harvest
                                                     dw)          dw)       06 (mt dw)    rule (mt   as of 11/6/
                                                                                            dw)       06 (mt dw)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Large Coastal Sharks (LCS)...  Gulf of Mexico..        222.8        103.1        336.6        119.7       -113.8
                               South Atlantic..        141.3        326.1        393.1       -184.3       -251.8
                               North Atlantic..          5.3          0.3          0.2          5.0          5.1
Small Coastal Sharks (SCS)...  Gulf of Mexico..         14.8          5.0         78.0          9.8        -63.2
                               South Atlantic..        284.6         42.1         44.5        242.5        240.1
                               North Atlantic..         18.7          0.1          0.0         18.6         18.7
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    NMFS is currently considering options to address the overharvest of 
LCS and SCS in the GOM, and is reviewing options for the South Atlantic 
as outlined in the proposed rule (71 FR 58778). In order to provide 
opportunity for public constituents to review the revised landings and 
provide comment, NMFS is extending the public comment period on the 
proposed rule and draft EA to 5 p.m., November 17, 2006.

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

    Dated: November 7, 2006.
James Burgess,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 06-9176 Filed 11-7-06; 2:23 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P