[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 54 (Monday, March 21, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 15275]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6583]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 110218148-1169-01]
RIN 0648-BA83
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Golden Crab Fishery Off the Southern Atlantic States; Control Date
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Advanced notice of proposed rulemaking; consideration of a
control date.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that it is establishing a control date of
December 7, 2010, to control future access to the golden crab fishery
operating in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic.
If changes to the management regime are developed and implemented under
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act), a control date could be used to limit the number of
participants in the fishery. This announcement is intended, in part, to
promote awareness of the potential eligibility criteria for future
access so as to discourage speculative entry into the fishery while the
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and NMFS consider
whether and how access to the golden crab fishery should be controlled.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before 5 p.m., local
time, April 20, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by 0648-BA83, by any one
of the following methods:
Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: Attn: Karla Gore 727-824-5305.
Mail: Karla Gore, NMFS Southeast Regional Office,
Sustainable Fisheries Division, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg,
FL 33701.
Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public record
and will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without
change. All Personal Identifying Information (for example, name,
address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly
accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or
otherwise sensitive or protected information.
To submit comments through the Federal e-rulemaking portal http://www.regulations.gov, enter ``NOAA-NMFS-2011-0044'' in the keyword
search, then check the box labeled ``Select to find documents accepting
comments or submissions'', then select ``Send a comment or
submission''. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter N/A in the
required fields if you wish to remain anonymous). You may submit
attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, Excel,
WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, Public Information
Officer, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; toll free 1-866-
SAFMC-10 or 843-571-4366; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At their December 2010 meeting, the Council
recommended a control date of December 7, 2010, for the golden crab
fishery. The Council manages golden crab under the Fishery Management
Plan for the Golden Crab Fishery of the South Atlantic Region. The
control date would apply to persons who are contemplating entering the
golden crab fishery in the EEZ of the South Atlantic region. If
adopted, a control date would be established for the golden crab
fishery. The Council requested that this control date be published in
the Federal Register to notify fishermen that if they enter such a
fishery after December 7, 2010, they may not be assured of future
access if the Council and/or NMFS decide to limit entry or impose other
measures to manage these fisheries.
Establishment of the control date would allow the Council to
evaluate the level of participation in the subject fishery and address
any level of overcapacity. Control dates are intended to discourage
speculative entry into a fishery, as new entrants entering the fishery
after the control date are forewarned that they are not guaranteed
future participation in the fishery.
Establishment of this control date does not commit the Council or
NMFS to any particular management regime or criteria for entry into the
golden crab fishery. Fishermen are not guaranteed future participation
in the fishery regardless of their level of participation before or
after the control date. The Council may recommend a different control
date or it may recommend a management regime that does not involve a
control date. Other criteria, such as documentation of landings or
fishing effort, may be used to determine eligibility for participation
in a limited access fishery. The Council and/or NMFS also may choose to
take no further action to control entry or access to the fisheries, in
which case the control date may be rescinded. Any action by the Council
will be taken pursuant to the requirements for fishery management plan
and amendment development established under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
This notification also gives the public notice that interested
participants should locate and preserve records that substantiate and
verify their participation in the golden crab fishery in the South
Atlantic EEZ.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 16, 2011.
John Oliver,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-6583 Filed 3-18-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P