[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 201 (Friday, October 17, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54035-54036]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27519]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 285, 630, 644, and 678

[I.D. 100897B]


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Scoping Meetings

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

ACTION: Scoping meetings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS will hold 21 scoping meetings to receive comments from 
fishery participants and other members of the public on Atlantic tunas, 
Atlantic swordfish, Atlantic shark, and Atlantic billfish fisheries. A 
scoping document of issues and options for Highly Migratory Species 
(HMS) fishery management is available for public comment (see 
ADDRESSES). The purpose of this announcement is to notify the public of 
meetings and provide for public participation in the management 
process.

DATES: Meetings will be held October 27 through November 17, 1997. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times. Written 
comments on the issues must be received on or before December 1, 1997.

ADDRESSES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for meeting locations.
    Written comments should be sent to Rebecca J. Lent, Chief, Highly 
Migratory Species Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Clearly mark the outside of 
the envelope ``Scoping Comments.'' Copies of the scoping document can 
be requested by telephone: 301-713-2347 or fax: 301-713-1917.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Liz Lauck or Jill Stevenson, 
telephone: 301-713-2347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is considering future management 
measures for Atlantic tunas, Atlantic swordfish, Atlantic shark, and 
Atlantic billfish fisheries to be included in a comprehensive Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic tunas, swordfish and sharks, and an 
amendment to the Billfish FMP. Options for management may include long-
term rebuilding programs, reallocation of quotas, recreational bag 
limits, commercial trip limits, minimum size restrictions, time/area 
closures, regional quotas, consistency between state and Federal 
regulations, gear restrictions, limited access, essential fish habitat, 
and permitting and reporting requirements.
    Consistent with the new requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), NMFS 
established an HMS Advisory Panel (AP) and a billfish AP to assist in 
developing and amending FMPs for HMS species. In the case of any 
species identified as overfished, the APs would also assist in 
developing rebuilding programs.
    The scoping meetings are intended to gather public input on a broad 
range of options to be considered in addressing HMS issues. The scoping 
document was developed with input from the APs and outlines major 
issues and options under consideration. NMFS is seeking public input on 
these and other issues and options for HMS fisheries.
    As part of the FMP development process, NMFS intends to prepare 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) documents due to the potentially 
significant impact of upcoming regulations on the human environment, 
and because changes have occurred in the fisheries since the last EISs 
were prepared (62 FR 45614, August 28, 1997). Participants in the 
fishery, including processors, may be required to operate under 
alternative management measures that may redistribute fishing effort 
and/or mortality in order to facilitate recovery of HMS. The EIS 
documents will address the impacts of potential future management 
options on the natural and human environment for the Atlantic tuna, 
Atlantic swordfish, Atlantic shark, and Atlantic billfish fisheries.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Liz Lauck at least 5 days before 
the meeting date (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Written 
comments on the issues and options for future management of HMS 
fisheries are also welcome.

Meeting Locations

    The meeting schedule is as follows:
    Monday, Oct 27, 1997, 7-10 p.m.

[[Page 54036]]

    1. Holiday Inn, 290 State Highway 37 East, Toms River, NJ 08753, 
(908) 244-4000;
    Monday, Oct 27, 1997, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
    2. SC Dept. of Natural Resources, Marine Research Institute 
Auditorium, 217 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, (803) 762-
5037;
    Tuesday, October 28, 1997, 7-10 p.m.
    3. City Hall, 3rd Street and Baltimore Ave., Ocean City, MD 21842, 
(410) 289-8221;
    4. Comfort Inn I-95, 5308 New Jessup Hwy., Brunswick, GA 31523, 
(912) 264-7268;
    5. The San Luis, 5222 Sea Wall Blvd., Galveston, TX 77551, (409) 
744-1500;
    6. Holiday Inn (site of Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council 
meeting); 3900 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach, VA 23451, (757) 428-1711;
    Wednesday, October 29, 1997, 7-10 p.m.
    7. Holiday Inn, 1300 North Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach, FL 32931, 
(407) 783-2271;
    8. NC Aquarium Auditorium, Airport Road, Manteo, NC 27954, (919) 
473-3494;
    9. The Hampton Inn, 32988 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach, AL 
36561, (334) 974-1598;
    Thursday October 30, 1997, 7-10 p.m.
    10. Riverhead Town Hall, 200 Howell Ave. (corner E. Main), 
Riverhead, NY 11901, (516) 727-3200;
    Monday, November 3, 1997, 7-10 p.m.
    11. Holiday Inn (site of U.S. ICCAT Advisory Committee meeting), 
Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301) 589-0800;
    Tuesday, November 4, 1997, 4-7 p.m.
    12. Holiday Inn Beachside, Marquesas Room, 3841 N. Roosevelt Blvd., 
Key West, FL 33040, (305) 294-2571;
    Tuesday, November 4, 1997, 7-10 p.m.
    13. Holiday Inn By the Bay (site of New England Fishery Management 
Council meeting), 88 Spring St., Portland, ME 04101, (207) 775-2311;
    Wednesday, November 5, 1997, 7-10 p.m.
    14. Sheraton Biscayne Bay Hotel, Washington Room, 495 Brickell 
Ave., Miami, FL 33131, (305) 373-6000;
    Thursday, November 6, 1997, 7-10 p.m.
    15. Game Fishing Club of the Virgin Islands (above Frigate 
Restaurant), Red Hook, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 00802, (809) 775-9144;
    16. Corliss Auditorium, Watkins Building, Graduate School of 
Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, 215 South Ferry Road, 
Narragansett, RI 02882, (401) 874-6222;
    Friday, November 7, 1997, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
    17. International WorkBoat Show, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center 
- Room 16, New Orleans, LA 70898,(207) 842-5693;
    Friday, November 7, 1997, 2-5 p.m.
    18. NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive,
    Gloucester, MA 01930, (508) 281-9260;
    19. Club Nautico, 482 Fernandez Juncos Ave., Old San Juan, PR 
00905, (787) 722-0177;
    Monday, November 10, 1997, 7-9 p.m.
    20. Holiday Inn Long Boat Key (site of Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council meeting), 4949 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Long Boat Key, 
FL 34228, (941) 383-3771;
    Monday, November 17, 1997, 7-10 p.m.
    21. Duke University Marine Laboratory (site of South Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council meeting), 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, 
Beaufort, NC 28546, (919) 504-7504.
    Additional meetings may be announced at a later date in the Federal 
Register.

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

    Dated: October 10, 1997.
Rebecca Lent,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-27519 Filed 10-10-97; 4:23 pm]
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