[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 9 (Monday, January 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2225-2226]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-422]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XE95


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 will hold public 
hearings to allow for input on Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP) for the Tilefish Fishery.

DATES: The hearings will be held on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 through 
Wednesday, February 6, 2008. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
dates, locations, and times of hearings. Written comments will be 
accepted until February 11, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director of 
the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Suite 2115 Federal 
Building, 300 South New Street, Dover, DE 19904; fax: (302) 674-5399; 
e-mail: [email protected]. Please indicate the subject as Tilefish 1.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the hearings is to receive 
public input on management actions under consideration in Amendment 1 
to the Tilefish FMP. There are 19 proposed

[[Page 2226]]

management actions in this Amendment. The proposed management actions 
could: (1) implement an individual fishing quota (IFQ) program/
allocation; (2) establish IFQ permanent transferability of ownership; 
(3) establish IFQ temporary transferability of ownership; (4) establish 
IFQ share accumulation guidelines or limitations; (5) implement 
commercial trip limits in the part-time category; (6) address fees and 
cost recovery; (7) establish flexibility to revise/adjust the IFQ 
program; (8) establish IFQ reporting requirements; (9) modify the 
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) reporting requirements; (10) revise 
commercial vessel logbook reports; (11) address hook size restrictions 
in the commercial fishery; (12) implement recreational permits and 
reporting requirements; (13) implement recreational bag-size limits; 
(14) improve monitoring of tilefish commercial landings; (15) expand 
the list of management measures that can be adjusted via the framework 
adjustment process; (16) modify essential fish habitat (EFH) 
designation; (17) modify (HAPC (habitat areas of particular concern) 
designation; (18) implement measures to reduce gear impacts on EFH; and 
(19) establish methods for collecting royalties under a Tilefish IFQ 
system.

Dates and Locations of Public Hearings

    Wednesday, January 30, 2008: Hampton Roads Convention 
Center, 1610 Coliseum Drive, Hampton, VA 23666, telephone: (888) 484-
4722
    Monday, February 4, 2008: Holiday Inn Express East End, 
1707 Old Country Road, Riverhead, NY 11901, telephone: (631) 548-1000
    Tuesday, February 5, 2008: Hilton Garden Inn, Providence 
Airport, One Thurber Street, Warwick, RI 02882, telephone: (401) 734-
9600.
    Wednesday, February 6, 2008: Holiday Inn Toms River, 290 
State Highway 37 East, Toms River, NJ 08753, telephone: (732) 244-4000
    All hearings begin at 7 p.m. and will be tape recorded with the 
tapes filed as the official transcript of the hearing.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are 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 ext. 18, at least 5 days prior to the 
meeting.

    Dated: January 9, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-422 Filed 1-11-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S