[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 129 (Thursday, July 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 38174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-15115]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RI 0648-XI79


Caribbean 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 Caribbean Fishery Management Council will hold public 
hearings to obtain input from fishers, the general public, and the 
local agencies representatives on the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) amendment 4 to the Spiny Lobster Fishery Management 
Plan of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

DATES: The public hearings will be held from July 17, 2008 through July 
22, 2008. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times 
and locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 
268 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918-2577, 
telephone: (787) 766-5926.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The public hearings will be held on the 
following dates and locations:
     July 17, 2008, Mayaguez Resort and Casino, Rd. 104, Km. 
0.3, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
     July 18, 2008, Pierre Hotel at Gallery Plaza, De Diego 
Avenue, Santurce, Puerto Rico
     July 21, 2008, Frenchman's Reef and Morning Star Hotel, 5 
Estate Bakkeroe, St. Thomas, USVI
     July 22, 2008, Caravelle Hotel, 44A Queen Cross St., 
Christiansted, St. Croix, USVI.
    All meetings will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
    The Caribbean Fishery Management Council will hold Public Hearings 
to receive public input on a proposal Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) to establish a size limit for spiny lobster imports 
into the United States. This action would prohibit any person in the 
United States from importing spiny lobster:
    -less than 5-ounces tail weight (5 ounces is defined as a tail that 
weighs 4.2-5.4 ounces) or compliance may be demonstrated by meeting the 
greater than 3-inch carapace length or 5.5-inch tail length.
    -or if imported into Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands, less 
than 6.0-ounces tail weight (6 ounces is defined as a tail that weighs 
5.9-6.4 ounces) or compliance may be demonstrated by meeting the 3.5-
inch carapace length or 6.2-inch tail length.
    -additionally, the importation of lobster tail meat without the 
exoskeleton (shell) attached, egg bearing female lobsters, or tails 
stripped of eggs would be prohibited.
    Written comments must be received no later than August 11, 2008, in 
order to be considered by NOAA Fisheries. You may submit comments by 
any of the following methods:
    -ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION E-MAIL: [email protected]
    -FAX: (727) 824-5308
    -MAIL: Jason Rueter, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Southeast 
Regional Office, NOAA Fisheries Service, 263, 13th Avenue South, St. 
Petersburg, FL 33701-5505.
    When submitting fax or e-mail comments, include the following 
document identifier in the comment subject line: 0648-AV61. Attachments 
to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, 
WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
    Electronic copies of the DEIS may be obtained from the NOAA 
Fisheries Service Web site at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sf/SpinyLobsterAmendment.htm, or for a hard (paper) copy contact: 
Sustainable Fisheries Division, Southeast Regional Office, NOAA 
Fisheries Service 263, 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701-
5505.

Special Accommodations

    These hearings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. For more information or request for sign language 
interpretation and other auxiliary aids, please contact Mr. Miguel A. 
Rolon, Executive Director, Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 268 
Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918-2577, 
telephone: (787) 766-5926, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: June 30, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-15115 Filed 7-2-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S