65 FR 175 pgs. 54474-54475 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and SouthAtlantic; Shrimp Fishery Off the Southern Atlantic States;Control Date
Type: PRORULEVolume: 65Number: 175Pages: 54474 - 54475
Docket number: [Docket No. 000824247-0247-01; I.D. 080200A]
FR document: [FR Doc. 00-23132 Filed 9-7-00; 8:45am]
Agency: Commerce Department
Sub Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 000824247-0247-01; I.D. 080200A]
RIN 0648-AO39
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and SouthAtlantic; Shrimp Fishery Off the Southern Atlantic States;Control Date
AGENCY:
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION:
Advance notice of proposed rulemaking; consideration of acontrol date.
SUMMARY:
This document announces that the South Atlantic FisheryManagement Council (Council) is considering whether there is aneed to impose additional management measures limiting entry intothe commercial penaeid shrimp fishery in the South Atlanticexclusive economic zone (EEZ) and, if there is a need, whatmanagement measures should be imposed. If the Council and NMFSdetermine that there is a need to impose additional managementmeasures, a rulemaking to do so may be initiated. Possiblemeasures include the establishment of a limited entry program tocontrol participation or effort in this fishery. This documentintends to inform the public that the Council is establishing acontrol date of September 8, 2000. Anyone entering the fishery after thecontrol date would not be assured of future access should amanagement regime that limits the number of participants in thefishery be prepared and implemented. The document also intendsto discourage new entry into the fishery based on economicspeculation during the Council's deliberation on the issues.
DATES:
Comments must be submitted by October 10, 2000.
ADDRESSES:
Comments should be directed to the South Atlantic FisheryManagement Council, One Southpark Circle, Suite 306, Charleston,South Carolina 29407-4699; telephone: 843-571-4366; fax:843-769-4520; email: safmc@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Steve Branstetter 727-570-5305; email:steve.branstetter@noaa.gov or Mr. Roger Pugliese 843-571-4366;email: roger.pugliese@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The commercial penaeid shrimp fishery in the South AtlanticRegion is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for theShrimp Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP) as prepared bythe South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) andapproved and implemented by NMFS. The FMP is implemented underthe authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation andManagement Act by regulations at 50 CFR part 622.
The Council has concerns about increasing shrimping effort inthe South Atlantic EEZ and wants to prevent the possibility ofthe development of an excess harvesting capacity for the shrimpfishery of the region. At its June 2000 meeting, the Councilvoted unanimously to establish a control date for the commercialpenaeid shrimp fishery in the South Atlantic EEZ and requestedthat NMFS notify the industry by publishing notification of thecontrol date in the Federal Register . Accordingly,NMFS publishes this document to notify the industry that September 8, 2000 is the control datefor the commercial penaeid shrimp fishery in the South AtlanticEEZ. Implementation of any program that limits participation oreffort in the penaeid shrimp fishery would require preparation ofan FMP amendment followed by Secretarial review, approval, andimplementation. Secretarial review involves publication of anotice of availability of the FMP amendment and of a proposedrule, with pertinent public comment periods.
Establishment of a control date does not commit the Council orNMFS to any particular management regime or criteria for entryinto this fishery. Fishermen are not guaranteed futureparticipation in the fishery regardless of their entry date orintensity of participation in the fishery before or after thecontrol date under consideration. The Council may choose to usea different control date or a management regime that does notmake use of such a date or to give variably weightedconsideration to fishermen active in the fishery before and afterthe control date. Other qualifying criteria, such asdocumentation of landings and sales, may be applied for entry.The Council may also choose to take no further action to controlentry or access to the fishery, in which case the control datemay be rescinded.
This advanced notice of proposed rulemaking has beendetermined to be not significant for purposes of Executive Order12866.
Authority:
6 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 1, 2000.
William T. Hogarth,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, National Marine FisheriesService.
[FR Doc. 00-23132 Filed 9-7-00; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S