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[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 8 (Monday, January 13, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 1705-1706]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-698]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 630 and 678

[I.D. 010297A]

Atlantic Swordfish Fishery; Atlantic Shark Fishery; Public 
Hearings on Draft Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management Plan for Sharks 
of the Atlantic Ocean

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

ACTION: Public hearings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Highly Migratory Species Management Division (HMS 
Division) will convene 11 public hearings on Draft Amendment 1 to the 
Fishery Management Plan for Sharks of the Atlantic Ocean (Shark FMP) 
and a proposed limited access system for the Atlantic swordfish 
fishery. Draft Amendment 1 will address a limited access system for the 
Atlantic shark fishery. Draft Amendment 1 to Fishery Management Plan 
for Atlantic Swordfish (Swordfish FMP), which will address a limited 
access system for that fishery, will be published in early January.

DATES: Written comments on Draft Amendment 1 to the Shark FMP will be 
accepted until February 28, 1997. Public hearings will be held in 
January and February. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates 
and times of the hearings.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to William T. Hogarth, 
Acting Chief, HMS Division, Office of Sustainable Fisheries F/SF1, 1315 
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (FAX: 301-713-1917). Clearly 
mark the outside of the envelope ``Limited Access Comments.'' Copies of 
the proposed rule and draft amendment 1 to the Shark FMP, which 
includes an environmental assessment and regulatory impact review, are 
available from Margo Schulze at the same address. Public hearings will 
be held in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, 
North Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
for locations of the hearings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margo Schulze, Fishery Biologist, or 
James Chambers, Fishery Management Specialist, HMS Division, 301-713-
2347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Issues that will be addressed in Draft 
Amendment 1 to the Shark FMP include: Proposed implementation of a two-
tiered permit system consisting of directed and incidental permits for 
the commercial fishery, eligibility criteria for these permits based on 
historical participation, transferability provisions, the permitting 
process, upgrading restrictions, ownerships limits, and an incidental 
permit catch limit. Draft Amendment 1 to the Swordfish FMP will be 
published in early January and will address similar issues to those in 
Draft Amendment 1 to the Shark FMP.
    A complete description of the measures, including the purpose and 
need for the proposed action, is contained in the proposed rule 
published December 27, 1996 (61 FR 68202), and is not repeated here. 
Copies of the proposed rule and Draft

[[Page 1706]]

Amendment 1 to the Shark FMP may be obtained by writing (see ADDRESSES) 
or calling one of the contact persons (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT).
    To accommodate people unable to attend a hearing or wishing to 
provide additional comments, NMFS also solicits written comments on the 
proposed rule.
    The public hearings are scheduled as follows:
    1. Thursday, January 30, 1997--North Carolina Aquarium 
(Auditorium), Airport Road, Manteo, NC 27954, (919) 473-3494, 7:00 
p.m.-10:00 p.m.
    2. Monday, February 3, 1997--Barnegat Light Firehouse, 10th and 
Boulevard Streets, Long Beach Island, Barnegat Light, NJ 08006, (609) 
494-1280, 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
    3. Wednesday, February 5, 1997--Holiday Inn (Highland Room), 81 
Riverside Street (exit 8 off Maine Turnpike), Portland, ME 04103, (207) 
774-5601, 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
    4. Thursday, February 6, 1997--City Hall (Commission Chambers, 1st 
floor), 100 North Andrews Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301, (954) 761-
5002, 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
    5. Thursday, February 6, 1997--Holiday Inn at the Crossings 
(Ballroom), (near T.F. Green Airport), 801 Greenwich Avenue (exit 12A 
off I-95), Warwick, RI 02886, (401) 732-6000, 7:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.
    6. Friday, February 7, 1997--Monroe County Public Library 
(Auditorium), 700 Fleming Street, Key West, FL 33040, (305) 292-3595, 
3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
    7. Friday, February 7, 1997--Fire Hall, 12 Flamingo Avenue, 
Montauk, NY 11954, (516) 668-5695, 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
    8. Thursday, February 13, 1997--Madeira Beach City Hall 
(Auditorium), 300 Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach, FL 33708, (813) 391-
9951, 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
    9. Friday, February 14, 1997--City Hall (Commission Meeting Rm, 2nd 
floor), 9 Harrison Avenue (Route 231), Panama City, FL 32401, (904) 
872-3010, 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
    10. Saturday, February 15, 1997--Quality Inn Midtown (Napoleon 
Room), 3900 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119, (504) 486-5541, 3:00 
p.m.-6:00 p.m.
    11. Wednesday, February 19, 1997--NOAA, First Floor Conference Room 
(1W611), Silver Spring Metro Center Building 4, 1305 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301) 713-2227, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Margo Schulze (see ADDRESSES) at 
least 15 days before the hearing date.

    Dated: January 7, 1997.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-698 Filed 1-7-97; 4:59 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
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