[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 82 (Monday, April 30, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 21197-21198]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-8197]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 042307E]


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION:  Notice of public hearings.

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SUMMARY:  The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) will hold 
hearings to allow for public input on Amendment 9 to the Fishery 
Management Plan for the AtlanticMackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery 
(FMP).

DATES:  Written comments will be accepted until May 27, 2007. All 
meetings begin at 7 a.m. For specific dates and locations of the 
hearings see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted through any of the following 
methods:
     Mail: Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management
    Council, Room 2115 Federal Building, 300 South New Street, Dover, 
Delaware 19904.
     FAX: 302-674-5399.
     E-mail: [email protected]. Please indicate the subject as SMB 
9 Comments.
     Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Daniel T. Furlong, Executive 
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Room 2115 Federal 
Building, 300 South New Street, Dover, Delaware 19904, 302-674-2331, 
ext. 19.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The purpose of the hearings is to receive public input on 
management actions under consideration in Amendment 9 to the Atlantic 
Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMP. The proposed management actions 
could:
    (1) Allow multi-year specifications for all four species managed 
through the FMP,
    (2) Extend or eliminate the moratorium on entry into the directed 
Illex squid fishery,
    (3) Revise the current overfishing definition for Loligo squid,
    (4) Designate EFH for Loligo eggs,

[[Page 21198]]

    (5) Implement area closures to reduce damage to habitat from squid-
mackerel-butterfish fisheries,
    (6) Increase the minimum codend mesh size requirement in the Loligo 
fishery,
    (7) Modify the exemption of the Illex fishery from the minimum 
codend mesh size requirement of the Loligo fishery,
    (8) Modify the Loligo incidental catch limit in the Illex fishery 
during Loligo fishery closures,
    (9) Establish a requirement for electronic daily reporting in the 
directed Illex fishery,
    (10) Establish gear restricted areas that are seasonally closed to 
small-mesh gear.

Dates and Locations of the Hearings

    Monday May 14, 2007: Hilton Garden Inn Providence Airport, One 
Thuber Street, Warwick, RI 02886.
    Tuesday, May 15, 2007: Holiday Inn Express East End, 1707 Old 
Country Road, Riverhead, NY 11901.
    Wednesday, May 16, 2007: The Grand Hotel, 1045 Beach Ave., Cape 
May, NJ 08204.
    Thursday, May 17, 2007: Days Inn Norfolk Airport, 5708 Northampton 
Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA 23455.

Special Accommodations

    The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to M. Jan Bryan at the Mid-Atlantic Council Office 
(302) 674-2331 extension 18 at least five days prior to the meeting 
date.

    Dated: April 24, 2007.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-8197 Filed 4-27-07; 8:45 am]
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