Coral and Coral Reefs of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 638

[I.D. 082394A]

Coral and Coral Reefs of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of an amendment to a fishery management

plan; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic

Fishery Management Councils have submitted Amendment 2 to the Fishery

Management Plan for Coral and Coral Reefs of the Gulf of Mexico and

South Atlantic for review by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary).

Written comments are requested from the public.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 21, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be mailed to the Southeast Regional Office,

NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33702.

Requests for copies of Amendment 2 and supporting documents should

be sent to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 5401 W.

Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 331, Tampa, FL 33609-2486, FAX 813-225-7015,

or to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 1 Southpark

Circle, Suite 306, Charleston, SC 29407-4699, FAX 803-769-4520.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Georgia Cranmore, 813-570-5305.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and

Management Act (Magnuson Act) requires that a council-prepared

amendment to a fishery management plan be submitted to the Secretary

for review and approval, disapproval, or partial disapproval. The

Magnuson Act also requires that the Secretary, upon receiving an

amendment, immediately publish a notice that the amendment is available

for public review and comment. The Secretary will consider public

comment in determining approvability of the amendment.

Amendment 2 would prohibit the taking of wild live rock in the

exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the South Atlantic states (South

Atlantic) from the North Carolina/Virginia boundary to the Dade/Broward

County line in Florida and in the EEZ of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf),

except off Florida north of Monroe County; phaseout wild live rock

harvests in the South Atlantic EEZ south of the Dade/Broward County

line by 1996; phaseout wild live rock harvests in the Gulf EEZ off

Florida north of Monroe County by 1997; establish restrictions on live

rock harvesting and possession and require permits and reporting during

the phaseout periods; and allow and facilitate live rock aquaculture.

Proposed regulations to implement Amendment 2 are scheduled for

publication within 15 days.

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

Dated: August 23, 1994.

David S. Crestin,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 94-21277 Filed 8-24-94; 2:58 pm]

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