Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Petition for Rulemaking for Seasonal Area Closures, Bycatch Quotas, and Related Measures to Reduce Scup Bycatch

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NMFS announces receipt of, and requests public comment on, an amended petition for rulemaking to: Reduce scup bycatch through seasonal area closures and a bycatch quota; monitor the Loligo fishery through a vessel monitoring system (VMS) and observers; and develop new gear designs. The Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Center for Marine Conservation, the National Audubon Society, and the American Oceans Campaign (Petitioners) have petitioned NMFS and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) to implement these measures beginning November 1999, to reduce the amount of scup caught incidentally in the Loligo squid fishery.