[Federal Register: March 4, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 42)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 10438-10439]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04mr99-30]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Parts 285, 600, 630, 635, 644, and 678
[I.D. 071698B; 010799A]
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS Fisheries); Fishery
Management Plan, Plan Amendment and Consolidation of Regulations
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of the comment period; additional
public hearing.
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SUMMARY: On January 20, 1999, NMFS requested comments on a draft
Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish and Sharks (HMS
FMP), and draft Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Billfish FMP, and the
proposed rule that would implement these FMPs. On February 25, NMFS
announced the availability of an addendum to the HMS FMP and published
a supplemental proposed rule to implement the addendum. Comments on all
documents were requested by March 4, 1999. NMFS hereby extends the
public comment period from March 4, 1999, to March 12, 1999, except for
proposed import restrictions for swordfish. NMFS also announces an
additional public hearing during the extended comment period.
DATES: Comments on the draft HMS FMP and its addendum, Amendment 1 to
the Billfish FMP, and their proposed implementing regulations must be
received by March 12, 1999. An additional public hearing will be held
in Spray Beach, NJ, on March 11, 1999, from 7 to 10 p.m.
ADDRESSES: To submit comments on, or to obtain copies of, the draft HMS
FMP, the Addendum to the draft HMS FMP, draft Amendment 1 to the
Billfish FMP, the proposed rule, supplemental proposed rule and
supporting documents, including the revised Initial Regulatory
Flexibility Analysis, or a summary of these items, contact Rebecca
Lent, Chief, Highly Migratory Species Management Division, Office of
Sustainable Fisheries (F/SF1), NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver
Spring, MD 20910-3282, phone (301) 713-2347, fax (301) 713-1917. Copies
of the addendum and supplement are also available on the Sustainable
Fisheries Act web site at www.nmfs.gov/sfa/hms/hmspg.html. Send
comments regarding the burden-hour estimates or other aspects of the
collection-of-information requirements contained in this proposed rule
to Rebecca Lent and to the Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, DC 20503
(Attention: NOAA Desk Officer).
The hearing location is the Spray Beach Inn, Oceanfront
and 24th Street, Spray Beach, NJ 08004.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat Scida regarding tuna issues at
(978) 281-9260; Jill Stevenson regarding swordfish issues at (301) 713-
2347; Margo Schulze regarding shark issues at (301) 713-2347; Buck
Sutter regarding billfish issues at (727) 570-5447; Karyl Brewster-
Geisz regarding limited access at (301) 713-2347; and Chris Rogers
regarding the regulatory consolidation at (301) 713-2347.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 9, 1998 (63 FR 54433), NMFS
announced the availability of draft Amendment 1 to the Billfish FMP,
and on October 26, 1998, NMFS announced the availability of the draft
HMS FMP (63 FR 57093). Information regarding the management of HMS
under the HMS and Billfish FMPs was provided in the preamble to the
proposed rule to implement those FMPs (64 FR 3154, January 20, 1999)
and is not repeated here. NMFS indicated that the preferred alternative
for western Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) rebuilding would be identified
following the November 1998 meeting of the International Commission for
the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), that the preferred
alternative and associated analyses would be published as an addendum
to the draft HMS FMP, and that proposed measures to implement the
preferred rebuilding alternative would be published in a supplement to
the proposed rule. The supplement to the proposed rule (February 25,
1999; 64 FR 9298) would implement the rebuilding and bycatch reduction
measures of the FMP Addendum and would specify BFT General category
effort controls for the 1999 fishing season and clarify mandatory data
collection requirements.
In response to public requests that additional time is needed to
review the above-referenced documents and prepare responses, NMFS
hereby extends the comment period to March 12, 1999.
Specific provisions in the proposed rule regarding swordfish import
restrictions had been previously proposed on October 13, 1998 (63 FR
54661). These provisions were restated in the proposed rule to
implement the HMS FMP due to the consolidated format of the new 50 CFR
part 635 regulations for HMS. Because the public comment period on
swordfish import restrictions has been adequate, and NMFS must begin
implementation of import monitoring, NMFS intends to finalize these
regulations under 50 CFR part 630. The final import restriction
regulations will subsequently be incorporated into 50 CFR part 635 when
the final consolidated regulations are issued.
Special Accommodations
This hearing is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Rebecca Lent (see ADDRESSES) at least 7 days
prior to the hearing.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
[[Page 10439]]
Dated: February 26, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-5281 Filed 3-1-99; 9:57 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F