[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 217 (Wednesday, November 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 61278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29480]
[[Page 61278]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 110199A]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Overfished Fisheries
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of overfished fisheries.
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SUMMARY: In its annual report to Congress on the status of marine fish
stocks, NMFS has identified 98 overfished stocks and 5 stocks that are
approaching a condition of being overfished, while 127 species are not
overfished and the condition of another 674 species is not known. The
report is prepared to comply with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act), as amended by
the Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA). The purpose of this document is to
notify the public that the Regional Fishery Management Councils
(Councils) or the Secretary of Commerce with respect to Atlantic highly
migratory species have been informed of those fisheries that are
overfished, and that they are required under the Magnuson-Stevens Act
to initiate action to end overfishing, rebuild stocks in overfished
fisheries, and prevent overfishing in fisheries that are approaching an
overfished condition.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George H. Darcy, NMFS, 301-713-2341.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
This action is required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1801
et seq.) as amended by the SFA, which was signed into law on October
11, 1996. Section 304(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that the
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) report annually to the Congress and
the Councils on the status of fisheries within each Council's
geographical area of authority and identify those fisheries that are
overfished or are approaching a condition of being overfished. For
those fisheries managed under a Fishery Management Plan (FMP) or
international agreement, the status is to be determined using the
criteria for overfishing specified in such FMP or agreement. A fishery
is classified as approaching a condition of being overfished if, based
on trends in fishing effort, fishery resource size, and other
appropriate factors, the Secretary estimates that the fishery will
become overfished within 2 years. Pursuant to section 304 of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Councils, and the Secretary for Atlantic
highly migratory species, were notified on October 29, 1999, of the
species that were overfished or approaching an overfished condition.
The 1999 report finds that a total of 98 species are
``overfished,'' 127 species are classified as ``not overfished,'' 5
species are ``approaching an overfished condition,'' and for 674
species the status is ``unknown.'' Conservation efforts and/or updated
data on some fisheries allowed managers to remove 10 species from the
overfished list while adding 18 new species. Six species that had been
``approaching an overfished condition'' were removed from that list,
but 1 new species was added to this year's report. In addition, a lack
of information to satisfy the more complex overfishing definition
required under the SFA caused 79 species to be moved from the ``not
overfished'' category to the ``unknown'' designation. The new statutory
definition requires that status determination criteria must specify
both a maximum fishing mortality or reasonable proxy, and a minimum
stock size threshold or reasonable proxy.
A copy of the report is also available through the internet at
<<http://kingfish.ssp.NMFS.gov/SFA>>.
Dated: November 5, 1999.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-29480 Filed 11-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F