Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 63 / Wednesday, April 2, 1997 / Notices 15659

1 7 U.S.C. 1 et seq.

SUMMARY: The President’s Export

Council (PEC) will hold a full Council

meeting to discuss topics related to

export expansion. The meeting will

include briefings on trade priorities and

issues, Information Technology

Agreement, economic sanctions, and

Virtual Trade Mission activities. The

PEC was established on December 20,

1973, and reconstituted May 4, 1979, to

advise the President on matters relating

to U.S. trade. It was most recently

renewed by Executive Order 12991.

DATES: April 24, 1997.

TIME: 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

ADDRESS: The Washington Court Hotel,

Atrium Ballroom, 525 New Jersey

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC., 20001–

1527. This program is physically

accessible to people with disabilities.

Requests for sign language

interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be submitted by April 16, 1997,

to Lori Way, President’s Export Council,

Room 2015B, Washington, DC, 20230.

(Phone: 202–482–1124) Seating is

limited and will be on a first come first

serve basis.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sylvia Lino Prosak or Lori Way,

President’s Export Council, Room

2015B, Washington, DC, 20230 (Phone:

202–482–1124).

Dated: March 26, 1997.

Sylvia Lino Prosak,

Staff Director and Executive Secretary,

President’s Export Council.

[FR Doc. 97–8289 Filed 4–1–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–P

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 022497A]

Fisheries Bycatch Plan

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request

for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces the

availability of and seeks public

comment on the draft NMFS bycatch

plan, Managing the Nation’s Bycatch:

Priorities, Programs and Actions for the

National Marine Fisheries Service. The

NMFS bycatch plan will guide the

agency’s bycatch-related research and

management for the next decade. Any

written comments received will be

considered by NMFS in the adoption

and implementation of the final bycatch

plan.

DATES: Written comments will be

accepted on or before May 19, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the

NMFS bycatch plan should be directed

to the NMFS Office of Science and

Technology, 1315 East-West Highway,

Silver Spring, MD. 20910.

PHONE:(301)713–2363. FAX: (301)713–

1875. The NMFS bycatch plan is also

available in its entirety on the Internet

at http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John

F. Witzig, 508–495–2305.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Interest in bycatch in the Nation’s

fisheries has received increased

attention in the last decade. During this

time, NMFS and its constituents have

come to agree that fisheries bycatch is

an issue of great concern to those

interested in sustainable fisheries and

marine ecosystems. Congress has

emphasized NMFS’ responsibility to

address bycatch in the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and

Management Act, the Marine Mammal

Protection Act, and the Endangered

Species Act. Following a series of public

symposia and workshops with industry,

the conservation community, scientists,

Native Alaskan groups, and others,

NMFS undertook development of a

national bycatch plan. The NMFS

bycatch plan will be used as a blueprint

for the agency’s bycatch-related research

and management for the next decade.

In the development of the plan, NMFS

conducted a survey of available

information on bycatch in the Nation’s

fisheries and efforts to understand and

manage the issue. The survey, which is

included in the bycatch plan, is

intended to update information

previously compiled elsewhere, and to

serve as a benchmark from which to

judge future efforts in data collection

and management efforts to mitigate

negative effects of bycatches.

Issues in each of NMFS’

administrative regions and on the

national level are addressed in detail in

the NMFS bycatch plan. This discussion

forms the basis for a set of research and

management recommendations that will

help guide the agency’s bycatch-related

activities. Broadly, recommendations in

the plan address the acquisition of

bycatch data, gear technology and

selectivity research, the effects of

bycatch, research on individual

incentive programs to manage bycatch,

development and implementation of

conservation and management measures

to address bycatch, and information

exchange and cooperative management.

Request for Comments

NMFS intends that the final version of

the bycatch plan will take advantage of

information and recommendations from

all interested parties. Therefore,

comments and suggestions are hereby

solicited from the public, other

concerned governmental agencies, the

scientific community, industry, and any

other person concerned with this draft

NMFS Bycatch Plan.

Dated: March 26, 1997.

Rolland A. Schmitten,

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–8364 Filed 4–1–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Petition of the Philadelphia Stock

Exchange, Inc. for Exemptive Relief To

Permit United States Customers To

Establish or Offset Positions in Certain

Foreign Currency Options on the Hong

Kong Futures Exchange Ltd. Through

Registered Broker-Dealers

AGENCY: Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of final order.

SUMMARY: In response to a petition by

the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Inc.

(‘‘PHLX’’), the Commodity Futures

Trading Commission (‘‘Commission’’ or

‘‘CFTC’’) has issued an Order (the

‘‘Order’’) exempting from regulation

under the Commodity Exchange Act

(‘‘Act’’ or ‘‘CEA’’) 1 transactions in

which United States (‘‘U.S.’’) customers

establish or offset positions in

Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Inc.

(‘‘PHLX’’) foreign currency options on

the Hong Kong Futures Exchange Ltd.

(‘‘HKFE’’) through registered brokerdealers pursuant to regulation by the

Securities and Exchange Commission

(‘‘SEC’’) under the federal securities

laws and subject to specified conditions

as set forth herein. The Order grants the

requested relief pursuant to section

4c(b) of the Act.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 28, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Susan C. Ervin, Deputy Director/Chief

Counsel or Christopher W. Cummings,

Attorney/Advisor, Division of Trading

and Markets, Commodity Futures

Trading Commission, 1155 21st Street,

NW., Washington, DC. 20581.

Telephone number: (202) 418–5450.

Facsimile number: (202) 418–5536.

Electronic mail: tm@cftc.gov.