National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration April 7, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

At the request of the New England Fishery Management Council (Council), this notification announces that the Council and NMFS is considering and seeking public comment on, potential changes to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan that would be implemented through proposed rulemaking, under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act), to limit the accumulation of excessive control or ownership of fishing privileges in the NE multispecies groundfish fishery. The date of publication of this notification, April 7, 2011, shall be known as the ``control date,'' and may be used as a reference date for future management measures related to such rulemaking. In particular this notification is intended to promote awareness of this possible rulemaking; provide notice to the public that any current or future accumulation of fishing privilege interests in the NE multispecies fishery may be affected, restricted, or even nullified; and to discourage speculative behavior in the market for fishing privileges while the Council considers whether and how such limitations on accumulation of fishing privileges should be developed. This notification also gives the public notice that interested participants should locate and preserve records that substantiate and verify their ownership or control of groundfish permits and other fishing privileges in the NE multispecies fishery in Federal waters.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a 3-day meeting on Tuesday through Thursday, April 26-28, 2011, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).