Atlantic Shark Fisheries

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 678

[I.D. 010897B]

Atlantic Shark Fisheries

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

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Public hearings; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: NMFS will hold public hearings to receive comments from

fishery participants and other members of the public on a proposed rule

that was published in the Federal Register on December 20, 1996. NMFS

is also extending the comment period for the proposed rule.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before January 24, 1997.

All hearings will begin at 7 p.m., as follows:

1. January 22, 1997, in Tampa, FL.

2. January 22, 1997, in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

3. January 23, 1997, in Manteo, NC.

4. January 23, 1997, in Key West, FL.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests for special accommodation

should be sent to William T. Hogarth, Chief, Highly Migratory Species

Management Division (F/SF1), Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National

Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 14853, Silver

Spring, MD 20910.

The hearings will be held at the following locations:

1. Tampa--Radisson Bay Harbor Inn (Chart Room), 7700 Courtenay

Campbell Causeway, Tampa, FL 33607.

2. Fort Lauderdale--Holiday Inn Beach Galleria (Coral Ballroom),

999 North Atlantic Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

3. Manteo--North Carolina Aquarium (Auditorium), Airport Road,

Manteo, NC 27954.

4. Key West--Holiday Inn La Concha (The Top Room), 430 Duval

Street, Key West, FL 33040.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: C. Michael Bailey or John Kelly, 301-

713-2347; fax 301-713-1917.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS has determined that it is necessary to

conduct public hearings and that commenters have additional time to

submit their comments on the proposed rule (61 FR 67295, December 20,

1996). Therefore, NMFS is extending the

[[Page 1873]]

comment period on Atlantic sharks from January 21, 1997 to January 24,

1997. The proposed rule, as published, would reduce commercial quotas

and recreational bag limits; establish a quota for small coastal

sharks; prohibit the directed commercial fishing for, and landing or

sale of, five species of sharks; establish a recreational tag-and-

release only fishery for white sharks; prohibit filleting of sharks at

sea; and restate the requirement for species-specific identification by

all owners or operators, dealers, and tournament operators of all

sharks landed.

This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.

Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to William T. Hogarth (see ADDRESSES) at least 4

days prior to the hearing date.

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

Dated: January 8, 1997.

Bruce Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine

Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97-827 Filed 1-9-97; 10:29 am]

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