[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 162 (Monday, August 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 51755]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-20804]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XY33
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Hearing
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce
ACTION: Public hearing; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold
a public hearing to solicit comments on proposals to be included in the
Draft Amendment 3 to the Deep Sea Red Crab Fishery Management Plan
(FMP).
DATES: The public hearing will be held on Thursday, September 9, 2010,
at 5 p.m. Written comments should be sent on or before September 23,
2010, by 5 p.m. EDT to Patricia Kurkul, Regional Administrator,
National Marine Fisheries Service, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester,
MA 01930.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, 31 Hampshire
Street, Mansfield, MA 02048; Telephone: (508) 339-2200; Fax: (508) 339-
1040.
Comments may also be sent via fax to (978) 281-9135 or submitted
via e-mail to [email protected] with ``Comments on Red Crab 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 Deep Sea Red Crab Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and to address the
new and revised requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (MSA). 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 Red Crab 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 alternatives in the Draft Amendment 3,
including a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, include:
(1) implementation and specification of annual catch limits (ACLs) and
accountability measures (AMs) to comply with a new mandate of the
reauthorized MSA; (2) establish specifications for fishing years 2011-
13; (3) consider changes to the management system that respond to
industry suggestions for increasing efficiency in the fishery; (4)
replace the Target Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and days-at-sea
management system with a hard TAC; (5) eliminate trip limits; and (6)
replace the blanket prohibition on landing more than one tote of
females per trip with a procedure that would allow the harvest of
female crab contingent upon Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC)
and Council approval of specifications that include female allowable
biological catch (ABC) and ACL.
Special Accommodations
This hearing is 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 five days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 18, 2010.
William D. Chappell,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-20804 Filed 8-20-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S