Taking of Threatened or Endangered Species Incidental to Commercial Fishing Operations

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is extending the public comment period through March 24, 2003 for an interim final rule published in the Federal Register on December 24, 2002. The purpose of the interim final rule is to prohibit fishing with drift gillnets in the California/Oregon (CA/OR) thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet fishery in U.S. waters off southern California, south of Point Conception (34[deg]27'N.) and west to the 120[deg]W., from August 15 through August 31, and January 1 through January 31, when the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries publishes a notice that El Nino conditions are present. The comment period, which originally ended on February 7, 2003, is being extended to allow for additional public comment.