[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 184 (Thursday, September 24, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48707-48708]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-23063]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 0907281181-91191-01]
RIN 0648-AX93


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Modification to the 
Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Herring Midwater Trawl Gear Authorization 
Letter

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

ACTION:  Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY:  NMFS reopens for 6 days the comment period on the proposed 
rule to modify the requirements of the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank (GOM/
GB) Herring Midwater Trawl Gear Letter of Authorization (LOA) for 
midwater trawl vessels issued All Areas and/or Areas 2 and 3 Atlantic 
herring limited access permits fishing in Northeast (NE) multispecies 
Closed Area I (CA I).

DATES:  The deadline for written comments on the September 4, 2009 (74 
FR 45798), proposed rule is reopened through September 27, 2009.

ADDRESSES:  You may submit comments, identified by 0648-AX93, by any 
one of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-rulemaking portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
     Mail: Paper, disk, or CD-ROM comments should be sent to 
Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries 
Service, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2276. Mark the 
outside of the envelope: ``Modification to GOM/GB Midwater Trawl LOA.''
     Fax: (978) 281-9135.
    Instructions: All comments received are part of the public record 
and will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without 
change. All Personal Identifying Information (for example, name, 
address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly 
accessible. Do not submit confidential business

[[Page 48708]]

information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.
    NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required 
fields, if you wish to remain anonymous). Attachments to electronic 
comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or 
Adobe PDF formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Douglas Potts, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, (978) 281-9341, fax (978) 281-9135.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) voted at its 
April 8, 2009, Council meeting to request that the NMFS Northeast 
Regional Administrator modify the GOM/GB Herring Midwater Trawl Gear 
LOA to require midwater trawl vessels fishing in CA I to have 100-
percent observer coverage; be prohibited from slipping codends (the 
practice of opening the codend of the net and releasing the catch 
before all of it is brought on board); and be required to pump aboard 
the vessel all fish caught, to allow sampling by the observer.
    On September 4, 2009, the proposed rule to implement the Council's 
requested expanded observer coverage published in the Federal Register 
(74 FR 45798) with a 15-day comment period that closed on September 21, 
2009. NMFS has received several requests from members of the fishing 
industry to extend the comment period until after the Council meeting 
on September 22-24, 2009. Therefore, to allow for additional public 
comment to be submitted after this proposed action is discussed at the 
Council meeting, NMFS is reopening the comment period on the proposed 
rule through September 27, 2009.

    Dated: September 21, 2009.
James W. Balsiger,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. E9-23063 Filed 9-23-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S