[Federal Register: July 27, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 145)]
[Notices]
[Page 39134-39136]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27jy01-29]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 98-085-6]
Aquaculture; Public Meetings
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are issuing this notice to inform the aquaculture
industries, interested parties, and the general public that three
public meetings will be held to discuss how and to what extent the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service should regulate aquatic
species and to discuss any other issues concerning possible regulation
of aquaculture by the Agency.
DATES: The public meetings will be held on Wednesday, September 19,
2001, from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; on Tuesday, October 9, 2001, from 9
a.m. to noon; and on Wednesday, October 10, 2001, from 2:30 p.m. to 5
p.m.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting on September 19, 2001, will be held in
the Harbor Room of the Silverdale Hotel on the Bay, 3073 NW Bucklin
Hill Road, Silverdale, WA, in conjunction with the joint meeting of the
Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association and the National Shellfish
Association/Pacific Coast Section Conference.
The public meeting on October 9, 2001, will be held in the
Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex Building, 2301 North Cameron Street,
Harrisburg, PA, in conjunction with the fall meeting of the
Pennsylvania Aquaculture Advisory Committee and the annual meeting of
the Pennsylvania Aquaculture Association.
The public meeting on October 10, 2001, will be held in the Main
Building Meeting Room of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry
Museum, 1150 Lakeland Drive, Jackson, MS, in conjunction with the
annual Board meeting of the Catfish Farmers of America.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about APHIS public
meetings, contact Dr. Otis Miller, Jr., National Aquaculture
Coordinator, Center for Planning, Certification, and
[[Page 39135]]
Monitoring, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 46, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1231, (301) 734-6188.
For information regarding the joint meeting of the Pacific Coast
Shellfish Growers Association and the National Shellfish Association/
Pacific Coast Section Conference, call Mr. Bill Dewey, Public Affairs
and Project Manager for Taylor Shellfish Company, Inc., (360) 887-2699.
For information regarding the joint meeting of the Pennsylvania
Aquaculture Advisory Committee and the Pennsylvania Aquaculture
Association, call Mr. Leo Dunn, Pennsylvania Aquaculture Coordinator,
(717) 783-8462.
For information regarding the annual meeting of the Catfish Farmers
of America, call Mr. Hugh Warren, Executive Vice-President, Catfish
Farmers of America, (662) 887-2699.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 4, 1999, the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) published an advance notice of proposed
rulemaking (ANPR) titled ``Aquaculture: Farm-Raised Fin Fish'' in the
Federal Register (64 FR 23795-23796, Docket No. 98-085-1). We published
this ANPR after receiving petitions \1\ asking us to regulate
aquaculture in various ways. Many petitioners asked us to define farmed
aquatic animals as livestock. In general, the petitioners seemed to be
interested in receiving the same services that domestic producers of
livestock receive for animals moving in interstate and foreign
commerce. However, based on the petitions alone, it was difficult for
us to determine what segments of the industry want services and exactly
what services they want. It was also difficult to determine the
objectives sought by the petitioners who were requesting Federal
regulation. We published the ANPR in an attempt to clarify the
industry's needs, the nature of the services sought, and the concerns
the petitioners had with regard to such regulations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ All the petitions and comments we received are a part of the
rulemaking record for Docket No. 98-085-1. You may read the
petitions and comments in our reading room. The reading room is
located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours
are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To
be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 690-2817
before coming.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We received 55 comments \2\ in response to the ANPR. A majority of
the commenters supported the idea of APHIS regulation of cultured fin
fish. Unfortunately, the commenters generally did not clearly
distinguish between fin fish raised for food and ornamental fin fish.
Commenters who wanted regulation were, however, very clear that they
want programs to prevent and control disease and to support increased
commerce, both domestic and export.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ All the petitions and comments we received are a part of the
rulemaking record for Docket No. 98-085-1. You may read the
petitions and comments in our reading room. The reading room is
located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours
are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To
be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 690-2817
before coming.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The commenters also suggested that any rulemaking initiated by
APHIS be a negotiated rulemaking. In negotiated rulemaking, industry
representatives and other interested persons meet with APHIS officials
and draft proposed regulations together. The proposed regulations are
then published for public comment. Negotiated rulemaking is designed to
ensure that all interested persons are involved together from the start
in the development of regulations.
Unfortunately, negotiated rulemaking is not suitable for all
situations. It works well when there is a small number of interested
parties and the parties are easy to identify. This is not the case with
aquaculture. Because the aquaculture industry is large and diverse, we
would have difficulty identifying everyone who should be represented in
a negotiated rulemaking. In addition, many parties outside aquaculture
would have a substantial interest in such a rulemaking. In our view,
the number of people who would need to participate in a negotiated
rulemaking would be too large and would suggest that negotiated
rulemaking is not appropriate. Furthermore, a negotiated rulemaking
would be expensive, and APHIS does not have adequate funds. Therefore,
we have concluded that it would not be appropriate to pursue an
aquaculture negotiated rulemaking.
However, we have not decided whether to pursue aquaculture
rulemaking by other means. Before we make that decision, we want to
have as much information as possible from all interested persons, and
we want to provide you with as much opportunity as possible to discuss
with us and inform us regarding the relevant issues.
Therefore, we are holding a series of public meetings. Public
meetings allow all interested parties--industry representatives,
producers, consumers, and others--to present their views and to
exchange information among themselves and with APHIS.
There are no set agendas for the meetings. Any issues and concerns
related to aquaculture and possible APHIS regulatory action can be
discussed. However, we would like more information on three specific
issues. These are issues that the people and organizations who
commented on our ANPR either did not address or were unclear about.
Specifically, if APHIS does propose regulations: (1) Should our program
be mandatory or voluntary; (2) should we cover shell fish; and (3)
should we cover ornamental fin fish?
Information elicited at the meetings could result in a new APHIS
regulatory program or in changes to aquaculture-related services
currently provided by APHIS.
We have scheduled public meetings on Wednesday, September 19, 2001,
in Silverdale, WA; on Tuesday, October 9, 2001, in Harrisburg, PA; and
on Wednesday, October 10, 2001, in Jackson, MS.
If you wish to speak at any of the meetings, please register in
advance by calling the Regulatory Analysis and Development voice mail
at (301) 734-4339. Leave a message with your name, telephone number,
organization, if any, the date(s) and location(s) of the meeting(s) you
will be attending, and an estimate of the time you need to speak. On
the day of each meeting, you may also register to speak during the
specified registration time scheduled before each meeting begins.
On-site registration for each meeting will take place outside the
meeting rooms one half hour before the meetings begin. The scheduled
dates and times for each meeting are listed under DATES. We may end a
meeting early if all the registered speakers have had a chance to speak
and if no one else wants to speak. We may also extend a meeting or
limit the time allowed for each speaker, if necessary, so all
interested persons have an opportunity to participate.
An APHIS representative will preside at all of the meetings. The
meetings will be recorded. We encourage speakers to present written
statements, though it is not required. If you choose to present a
written statement, please provide the chairperson with a copy. The
complete record of each meeting, including the transcript and all
written comments, will be available to the public.
These meetings are part of a series of public meetings. The first
public meeting was held on January 25, 2001, in Lake Buena Vista, FL.
The second public meeting was held on February 16, 2001, in Hebron, KY.
The third public meeting was held on April 5, 2001, in Machias, ME, and
the fourth public meeting was held on June 8, 2001, in Twin Falls, ID.
Shortly, we
[[Page 39136]]
plan to announce an additional public meeting in Arkansas, which is
tentatively scheduled for Thursday, October 4, 2001. We will publish a
notice in the Federal Register announcing the date, time, and location
of this meeting.
Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of July 2001.
Bobby R. Acord,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 01-18781 Filed 7-26-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-U
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 2001/07/27 EST