[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 44 (Monday, March 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10470-10471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-4733]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XT75
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Monkfish Fishery Management Plan Amendment 5; reschedule of
public hearings.
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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) has
rescheduled two public hearings to solicit comments on proposals to be
included in the Draft Amendment 5 to the Monkfish Fishery Management
Plan (FMP).
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before 5 p.m. e.s.t.,
March 9, 2010. The public hearings will be held on March 8, 2010 and
March 9, 2010. For specific dates and times, see SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: The Council will take comments at public meetings in
Riverhead, NY and Lakewood, NJ. For specific locations, see
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. Written comments should be sent to Patricia
Kurkul, Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service, 55
Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Comments may also be sent
via fax to (978) 281-9135 or submitted via e-mail to
[email protected] with ``Monkfish Amendment 5 Public Hearing
Comments'' 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The New England Fishery Management Council's
Monkfish Committee is holding public hearings for Amendment 5 to the
Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The primary purpose of this
amendment is to address the new requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act that the
Council adopt Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) and Accountability Measures
(AMs) and manage the fishery at long-term
[[Page 10471]]
sustainable levels. According to the Act, these measures must be
adopted by 2011. Amendment 5 will also include revised biological and
management reference points to bring the FMP into compliance with
revised National Standard 1 Guidelines. Further, Amendment 5 will
specify total allowable catch targets and associated days-at-sea (DAS)
and trip limits for the directed fishery to supplant the current
specifications that it adopted for the 2007-2009 fishing years along
with an extension provision which will apply for the 2010 fishing year.
Amendment 5 contains proposals to make modifications to the FMP to
improve the Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program, to minimize bycatch
resulting from trip limit overages, to accommodate those vessels
fishing in groundfish sectors who would no longer be required to use
their allocated groundfish DAS, to require all limited access monkfish
vessels to use a VMS when on a monkfish DAS, and to allow the landing
of monkfish heads.
The public hearing document, as well as the draft Amendment 5
document incorporating an Environmental Assessment, is available on the
Monkfish page of the Council's website (www.nefmc.org) or from the
Council office.
After the close of the public comment period, the Monkfish
Oversight Committee and Industry Advisory Panel will review the
comments and develop recommendations to the New England and Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Councils on the measures to be submitted as
final action for Amendment 5. The Councils will make their decisions in
April, 2010 for submission to the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS). If approved by NMFS, Amendment 5 will take effect at the start
of the 2011 fishing year.
The original public hearings were listed in the January 14, 2010
Federal Register (75 FR 2111) and the new dates, times, locations and
telephone numbers of the hearings are as follows:
Monday, March 8, 2010 at 12:30 p.m.-Holiday Inn Express East End,
1707 Old Country Road, Riverhead, NY 11901; telephone: (631) 548-1000.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 9 a.m.-Hilton Garden Inn, 1885 Route 70,
Lakewood, NJ 08701; telephone: (732) 262-5232.
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 five days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 2, 2010.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-4733 Filed 3-5-10; 8:45 am]
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