45386 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 166 / Wednesday, August 27, 1997 / Proposed Rules

(1) Gear modifications; and

(2) Area closures.

G. Recommendations for future

research

(1) Natural mortality (current

estimates assume an 18 percent natural

mortality rate for herring, including

predation by other species); and

(2) Other recommendations.

H. Fishing community considerations

(1) Protection of traditional uses of

inshore stocks; and

(2) Description and analysis of

impacts on fishing communities.

I. An analysis of the impacts of

proposed measures on safety at sea

J. Administrative provisions

(1) A requirement for vessel fishing

permits;

(2) A requirement for fishing vessel

operator permits;

(3) Dealer permits; and

(4) Requirement to provide end-use

information on IWP permits.

K. Data needs

(1) Reporting of landings from stock

components;

(2) Mandatory observer coverage; and

(3) Data on end-products and uses.

L. The Commission/Council process

for allocating herring among JV and IWP

operations

Scoping Process

All persons affected by or otherwise

interested in herring fisheries

management are invited to participate in

determining the scope and significance

of issues to be analyzed by submitting

written comments (see ADDRESSES) or

attending one of the scoping hearings.

Scope consists of the range of actions,

alternatives, and impacts to be

considered. Alternatives include not

developing a management plan (taking

no action), developing amendments to

existing plans or other reasonable

courses of action. Impacts may be direct,

indirect, individual or cumulative. The

scoping process also will identify and

eliminate from detailed study issues

that are not significant. Once a draft

management plan and an Environmental

Impact Statement or Environmental

Assessment is developed, the Council

and Commission will hold public

hearings to receive comments.

Public Meeting Schedule

The Council will discuss and take

scoping comment at public meetings as

follows:

(1) September 2, 1:00 p.m, Gloucester

House Restaurant, Seven Seas Wharf,

Gloucester, MA, (508) 283–1812;

(2) September 3, 1:00 p.m., Maine

Dept. of Marine Resources Fisheries

Laboratory, 194 McKown Point Road,

Boothbay Harbor, ME, (207) 633–9500;

(3) September 9, 1:00 p.m., Holiday

Inn, Route 1, South Kingston, RI, (401)

789–1051; and

(4) September 11, 7:00 p.m., Rutgers

Marine Advisory Service, Cape May

County Extension Office, Dennisville

Road, Rt. 657, Cape May Courthouse,

NJ, (609) 465–5115.

Additional scoping meetings may be

scheduled as needed.

Special Accommodations

The meetings are physically

accessible to people with disabilities.

Requests for sign language

interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to Paul J. Howard

(see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days prior

to the meeting date.

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

Dated: August 21, 1997.

George H. Darcy,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–22838 Filed 8-26-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 081997A]

License Limitation Program; Public

Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of meetings.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces two

meetings to discuss the proposed rule

that would implement Amendments 39,

41, and 5 to the fishery management

plans for groundfish off Alaska and crab

in and off Alaska (License Limitation

Program). The purpose of these

meetings is to explain provisions of the

proposed rule and to answer questions

presented at the meetings by members

of the affected fishing industry and

other interested parties.

DATES: The meetings are scheduled as

follows:

1. September 5, 1997, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.,

PDT, Seattle, WA.

2. September 12, 1997, 1 p.m. to 4

p.m., ADT, Anchorage, AK.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at

the following locations:

1. Seattle—7600 Sand Point Way, NE,

Building 4 (Room 1055, Observer

Training Room), Seattle, WA 98115.

2. Anchorage—707 ‘‘A’’ Street (Suite

210), Anchorage, AK 99501.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John

Lepore, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: These

meetings are scheduled by NMFS in

response to requests by the affected

fishing industry to discuss particular

aspects of the License Limitation

Program as found in the proposed rule

published on August 15, 1997 (62 FR

43866). These meetings will be held

while the public comment period for the

proposed rule is open; however, these

meetings are informative only and will

not be used to obtain public comment

on the proposed rule. For comments to

be considered in the development of the

final rule, they must be in writing and

received prior to September 29, 1997.

Written comments on the proposed rule

must be sent to Chief, Fisheries

Management Division, Alaska Region,

NMFS, 709 W. 9th Street, Room 453,

Juneau, AK 99801, or P.O. Box 21668,

Juneau, AK 99802, Attention: Lori J.

Gravel.

Dated: August 20, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–22616 Filed 6–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F