Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Scoping Meetings

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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