[Federal Register: January 30, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 20)]
[Notices]               
[Page 4624-4625]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30ja98-39]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 012398B]

 
Magnuson Act Provisions; Effects of Fishing on Essential Fish 
Habitat; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Public meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS will hold a public meeting to brief the Pacific Fishery 
Management Council's (PFMC) Groundfish Management Team and interested 
parties on the results of a synthesis of available scientific 
information on fishing gear impacts on habitat entitled: The Indirect 
Effects of Fishing by Peter J. Auster and Richard W. Langton. Following 
a presentation there will be an opportunity for questions and comments. 
NMFS requests that comments be limited to those concerning the adequacy 
of the synthesis, i.e., what scientific studies are missing, and any 
disagreements with the scientific conclusions.

DATES: The meeting will be held February 9, 1998. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific location, and time.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the draft report and additional 
information should be addressed to Office of Habitat Conservation, 
Attention: Gear Impacts, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, 
MD 20910-3282; telephone: 301/713-2325.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Thomas, NMFS, 301/713-2325.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
(Magnuson-Stevens Act), as amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 
1996, requires that the Councils minimize, to the extent practicable, 
adverse effects of fishing on habitat. The Magnuson-Stevens Act further 
stipulates that fishers and other interested parties be involved in 
this process. This process begins with a synthesis that surveys and 
assesses all available information through the scientific literature 
concerning adverse effects of fishing. The draft synthesis is being 
presented and discussed at this public meeting. The final synthesis 
document will be available to all of the Councils and to other 
interested parties for use in addressing adverse impacts from fishing 
gear within fishery management plans. NMFS is hosting a series of 
meetings to inform the Councils and to involve interested parties early 
in the process of addressing the effects of fishing on habitat. 
Information on the locations of the other meetings was provided in an 
earlier notice (63 FR 2217, January 14, 1998) and will not be repeated 
here. The meeting announced in this notice will provide an opportunity 
for members of the PFMC's Groundfish Management Team, West Coast 
fishers, and the public an opportunity to comment on the draft 
synthesis document.

Public Meeting

    Monday, February 9, 1998, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. PST at the 
Doubletree Downtown Hotel, Multnomah Falls Room, 310 SW Lincoln, 
Portland, OR 97201; telephone 503/221-0450.

Special Accommodations

    Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Jim Thomas (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) 
at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

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


[[Page 4625]]


    Dated: January 26, 1998.
James P. Burgess,
Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-2279 Filed 1-26-98; 4:44 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F