[Federal Register: October 10, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 198)]
[Notices]
[Page 60245-60246]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10oc08-51]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN: 0648-XL05
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public hearings; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold
four public hearings to solicit comments on proposals to be included in
the Draft Amendment 3 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management
Plan (FMP).
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before 5 p.m. EST,
November 10, 2008. The public hearings will be held from October 27,
2008 to October 30, 2008. For specific dates and times, see
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: The Council will take comments at public meetings in Hyannis
and New Bedford, MA, Narragansett, RI and Portsmouth, NH. For specific
locations, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. Written comments should be
sent to Patricia Kurkul, Regional Administrator, National Marine
Fisheries Service, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Comments
may also be sent via fax to (978) 281-9135 or submitted via e-mail to
Skateamendment3@noaa.gov with ``Comments on Skate Draft Amendment 3''
in the subject line. Requests for copies of the public hearing document
and other information should be directed to Paul J. Howard, Executive
Director, New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill
2, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: (978) 465-0492. The public hearing
document is also accessible electronically via the Internet at http://
www.nefmc.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council proposes to take action to amend
the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and to
address the new and revised requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fisheries Act. The Council will consider comments from fishermen,
interested parties and the general public on the proposals and
alternatives described in the public hearing document for Draft
Amendment 3 to the Northeast Skate Complex FMP. Once it has considered
public comments, the Council will approve final management measures and
prepare a submission package for NMFS. There will be an additional
opportunity for written public comments on the proposed rule when it is
published in the Federal Register.
Major elements of the proposals in the Draft Amendment 3 and a
Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement include: (1) measures
to reduce catch via time/area closures and/or skate possession limits
to rebuild overfished smooth, thorny and winter skates as well as to
stop overfishing of thorny skate; (2) implementation and specification
of annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) to
comply with a new mandate of the reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act; and
(3) an annual specification and bi-annual review process to replace an
obsolete baseline review procedure. There are two options for
allocating ACLs to the skate wing and skate bait fisheries. There is
also a hard total allowable catch (TAC) and soft TAC option to
implement ACLs and AMs.
The dates, times, locations and telephone numbers of the hearings
are as follows:
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 7 p.m. - Radisson Hotel, 287 Iyannough
Road, Hyannis, MA 02601; telephone: (508) 771-1700.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 7 p.m. - Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny
Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740; telephone: (508) 997-0046.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 7 p.m. - Narragansett Town Hall, 25
Fifth Avenue, Narragansett, RI 02882; telephone: (401) 789-1044.
Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 7 p.m. - Urban Forestry Center, 45
Elwin Road, Portsmouth, NH 03801; telephone: (603) 431-6774.
Special Accommodations
These hearings are physically accessible to people with physical
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Paul J. Howard (see ADDRESSES) at
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
[[Page 60246]]
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 7, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-24165 Filed 10-9-08; 8:45 am]
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