Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 9 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries; Resubmission of Disapproved Measure

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 081696D]

Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 9 to the

Fishery Management Plan for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea

Bass Fisheries; Resubmission of Disapproved Measure

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

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice to advise that the Mid-Atlantic

Fishery Management Council (Council) has resubmitted a modification of

the previously disapproved commercial quota measure contained in

Amendment 9 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Summer Flounder,

Scup and Black Sea Bass Fisheries (FMP), for Secretarial approval and

to request comments from the public.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 19, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Dr. Andrew A. Rosenberg, Regional

Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive,

Gloucester, MA 01930-3799. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments

on the Resubmitted Black Sea Bass Measure.''

Copies of the resubmission portion of Amendment 9 and other

supporting documents are available from David R. Keifer, Executive

Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Room 2115 Federal

Building, 300 S. New Street, Dover, DE 19904-6790.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Regina L. Spallone, Fishery Policy

Analyst, 508-281-9221.

``Comments

on the Resubmitted Black Sea Bass Measure.''

Copies of the resubmission portion of Amendment 9 and other

supporting documents are available from David R. Keifer, Executive

Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Room 2115 Federal

Building, 300 S. New Street, Dover, DE 19904-6790.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Regina L. Spallone, Fishery Policy

Analyst, 508-281-9221.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and

Management Act (Magnuson Act)(16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) requires each

regional fishery management council to submit any fishery management

plan or plan amendment it prepares to the Secretary of Commerce

(Secretary) for review and approval or disapproval. The Magnuson Act

also requires the Secretary, upon receiving the plan or amendment, to

publish immediately notification that the plan or amendment is

available for public review and comment. The Secretary will consider

the public comments in determining whether to approve the plan or

amendment.

On July 19, 1996, NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary, upon

preliminary evaluation of Amendment 9, as authorized in section

304(a)(1)(A) of the Magnuson Act, disapproved the provision proposed in

Amendment 9 that would have implemented a state by state commercial

quota for black sea bass in 1998. The Council has revised this

provision and, under section 304(b)(3)(A) of the Magnuson Act,

submitted for Secretarial review, a proposed measure that would

implement a quarterly coastwide quota with trip limits that would be

allocated to the commercial black sea bass fishery from Maine through

North Carolina.

Day 1 of this rule is August 16, 1996. Proposed regulations for

this provision are scheduled to be published within 15 days.

Authority: 18 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: August 19, 1996.

Richard H. Schaefer,

Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 96-21517 Filed 8-20-96; 3:17 pm]

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