[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 194 (Tuesday, October 7, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52323-52324]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26554]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 093097G]


Draft Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of and seeks public comment on 
the draft Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research.
    Section 404 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires the Secretary of 
Commerce to develop, trianually, a strategic plan for fisheries 
research for the subsequent years. Any written comments on the draft 
plan will be considered by NMFS in the development of the final 
Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research.
DATES: Comments on the plan will be accepted on or before November 6, 
1997.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the draft plan and comments on the 
draft plan should be directed to John T. Everett, Chief, Research, 
Analysis, and Coordination Division, Office of Science and Technology, 
NMFS, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. PHONE: 
(301) 713-2363. FAX: (301) 713-1875.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Everett or Carolyn Brown at 301-
713-2363.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 404 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act 
requires the Secretary of Commerce to publish in the Federal Register a 
strategic plan for fisheries research for the five years immediately 
following the plan's publication. The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires 
that the plan address four major areas of research: (1) Research to 
support fishery conservation and management; (2) conservation 
engineering research; (3) research on the fisheries; and (4) 
information management research. The Magnuson-Stevens Act specifies 
that the plan shall contain a limited number of priority objectives for 
each of these research areas; indicate goals and timetables; provide a 
role for commercial fishermen in such research; provide for collection 
and dissemination of complete and accurate information concerning 
fishing

[[Page 52324]]

activities; and be developed in cooperation with the Councils and 
affected states.
    In 1997, NMFS published a Strategic Plan for NOAA Fisheries. The 
NMFS Strategic Plan was developed in a comprehensive manner, with 
extraordinary public involvement, including 16 public meetings. The 
present Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research is based upon and 
entirely consistent with the NMFS Strategic Plan. It is a subset of the 
all-encompassing NMFS Strategic Plan, focusing on science research 
activities. The objectives found under the Major Fishery Research 
Objectives and Goals section of the subject document can be matched 
with those in the NMFS Strategic Plan. In addition, the strategies, 
goals and objectives of the draft Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research 
are wholly consistent with the 1993 NOAA Strategic Plan: A Vision for 
2005.
    The scope of the present document is solely fisheries research to 
support the Act. It does not include the regulatory and enforcement 
components of the NMFS mission. NMFS currently conducts a comprehensive 
program of fisheries research and involves industry and others 
interested in fisheries in planning and implementing its objectives.
    NMFS intends that the final version of the Strategic Plan for 
Fisheries Research will take advantage of information and 
recommendations from all interested parties. Therefore, comments and 
suggestions on this draft NMFS Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research 
are hereby solicited from the public, other concerned government 
agencies, the scientific community, industry, and any other person.

    Dated: October 1, 1997.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-26554 Filed 10-6-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F