[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 3, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 96-97]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-22512]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 635

[I.D. 110206A]
RIN 0648-AU86


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS); U.S. Atlantic Swordfish 
Fishery Management Measures

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notification of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: NMFS published a proposed rule on November 28, 2006, to amend 
regulations governing the U.S. Atlantic swordfish fishery that would 
provide a reasonable opportunity for U.S. vessels to more fully harvest 
the domestic U.S. North Atlantic swordfish quota. This notice announces 
the dates, locations, and times of seven public hearings to obtain 
public comment on the proposed rule. Comments received at these 
hearings will assist NMFS in selecting management measures to more 
fully utilize the International Commission on the Conservation of 
Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)-recommended U.S. North Atlantic swordfish quota 
in recognition of the improved stock status of North Atlantic 
swordfish. These public hearings will be combined with scoping meetings 
on potential shark management measures that require an amendment to the 
Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan 
(HMS FMP). Notice of the shark scoping meetings is published today in a 
separate Federal Register document.

DATES: Public hearings will be held in January 2007. For specific dates 
and times, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

[[Page 97]]

    As published on November 28, 2006 (71 FR 68784), written comments 
on the proposed rule must be received no later than 5 p.m. January 31, 
2007.

ADDRESSES: Public hearings will be held in Madeira Beach, FL; Fort 
Pierce, FL; Destin, FL; Manteo, NC; Houma, LA; Gloucester, MA; and 
Manahawkin, NJ. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for details.
    As published on November 28, 2006 (71 FR 68784), written comments 
on the proposed rule should be mailed to Sari Kiraly, Highly Migratory 
Species Management Division by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
the following identifier: ``I.D. 110206A.''
     Written: 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. 
Please mark the outside of the envelope ``Comments on Swordfish 
Revitalization Proposed Rule.''
     Fax: (301) 713-1917.
     Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    Copies of the Draft Environmental Assessment, proposed rule, the 
2006 Consolidated HMS FMP and other relevant documents are available 
from the Highly Migratory Species Management Division website at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms or by contacting Sari Kiraly (see FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sari Kiraly at (301) 713-2347, Michael 
Clark at (301) 713-2347, or Richard Pearson (727) 824-5399.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic swordfish fishery is managed 
under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act. The Consolidated 
HMS FMP is implemented by regulations at 50 CFR part 635.
    On November 28, 2006 (71 FR 68784), NMFS published a proposed rule 
that summarized options that may increase opportunities for U.S. 
vessels to fully harvest the ICCAT-recommended U.S. North Atlantic 
swordfish quota. That proposed rule would increase swordfish retention 
limits for incidental swordfish permit holders, and modify recreational 
swordfish retention limits for HMS Charter/Headboat and Angling 
category permit holders. The proposed rule would also modify HMS 
limited access vessel upgrading restrictions for pelagic longline (PLL) 
vessels. These actions would address persistent underharvests of the 
domestic swordfish quota, while continuing to minimize bycatch to the 
extent practicable, so that swordfish are harvested in a sustainable, 
yet economically viable manner. The comment period on the proposed rule 
ends on January 31, 2007.

Request for Comments

    Seven public hearings will be held in January 2007 to provide the 
public an opportunity to comment on proposed swordfish management 
measures (November 28, 2006; 71 FR 68784) to be included in the 
upcoming final rule. These public hearings will be held in conjunction 
with scoping meetings for an amendment to the HMS FMP to gather 
comments on implementing future shark management measures. Information 
regarding the scoping meetings for potential shark management measures 
is published today in a separate Federal Register notice. The time 
allotted to swordfish and shark management measures will be distributed 
accordingly to provide ample opportunity for the public to comment on 
both topics. Time may be split equally or additional time may be 
allotted to either shark or swordfish measures, as necessary, depending 
on the attendees' primary interests.

Hearing Dates, Times, and Locations

    Public hearings for the November 28, 2006 (71 FR 68784) proposed 
rule are scheduled as follows:
    1. Wednesday, January 17, 2007, 6-9 p.m. Northeast Regional Office, 
One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.
    2. Thursday, January 18, 2007, 6-9 p.m. City of Madeira Beach, 300 
Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach, FL 33708.
    3. Thursday, January 18, 2007, 6-9 p.m. Manahawkin Public Library, 
129 North Main Street, Manahawkin, NJ 08050.
    4. Tuesday, January 23, 2007, 6-9 p.m. Destin Community Center, 101 
Stahlman Avenue, Destin, FL 32541.
    5. Thursday, January 25, 2007, 6-9 p.m. Bayou Black Recreational 
Center, 3688 Southdown Mandalay Road, Houma, LA 70360.
    6. Tuesday, January 30, 2007, 6-9 p.m. Fort Pierce Library, 101 
Melody Lane, Fort Pierce, FL 34950.
    7. Wednesday, January 31, 2007, 6-9 p.m. Manteo Town Hall, 407 
Budleigh Street, Manteo, NC 27954.

Public Hearings Code of Conduct

    The public is reminded that NMFS expects participants at the public 
hearings to conduct themselves appropriately. At the beginning of each 
hearing, a representative of NMFS will explain the ground rules (e.g., 
alcohol is prohibited from the hearing room; attendees will be called 
to give their comments in the order in which they registered to speak; 
each attendee will have an equal amount of time to speak; and attendees 
should not interrupt one another). The NMFS representative will attempt 
to structure the hearing so that all attending members of the public 
will be able to comment, if they so choose, regardless of the 
controversial nature of the subject(s). Attendees are expected to 
respect the ground rules, and, if they do not, they will be asked to 
leave the hearing.

Special Accommodations

    The hearings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Michael Clark (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT) at least 7 days prior to the hearing.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: December 26, 2006.
Karyl K. Brewster-Geisz,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-22512 Filed 12-29-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S