[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 17, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53851-53852]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-21779]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-AW65


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Shark Management 
Measures

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

ACTION: Changing the time and location of a scoping meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS has changed the time and location of the Small Coastal 
Shark (SCS) Amendment 3 scoping meeting that was scheduled to be held 
in Gloucester, MA, on October 9, 2008. The list of all scheduled 
scoping meetings was previously published on July 2, 2008 (73 FR 
37932).

DATES: The new time will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on October 9, 
2008. See ADDRESSES for information on the change of location.

[[Page 53852]]


ADDRESSES: The new location of the meeting will be at the Peabody 
Institute Library, 82 Main Street, Peabody, MA, 01960.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jess Beck at (301) 713-2347 or Jackie 
Wilson at (240) 338-3936.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic shark fisheries are managed 
under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The 2006 Consolidated Highly 
Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan (HMS FMP) is implemented by 
regulations at 50 CFR part 635.
    On May 7, 2008 (73 FR 25665), NMFS published a Notice of Intent 
(NOI) that summarized the 2007 SCS stock assessment conducted for 
Atlantic sharpnose, blacknose, bonnethead, and finetooth sharks. The 
NOI also described NMFS' determination as to the status of these stocks 
based on the results of the 2007 stock assessment, including the 
determination that blacknose sharks are overfished with overfishing 
occurring. As a result of this determination, NMFS is taking steps to 
amend current shark management measures via a third FMP amendment to 
the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP. NMFS anticipates completing this 
amendment and any related documents by January 1, 2010. The comment 
period for the NOI has been extended (73 FR 37932, July 2, 2008) and 
now ends at 5 p.m. on October 31, 2008. On July 2, 2008, NMFS also 
announced the availability of an issues and options presentation 
describing potential measures for inclusion in Amendment 3 to the 2006 
Consolidated HMS FMP.

Request for Comments

    Four scoping meetings have been scheduled to provide the 
opportunity for public comment on potential SCS shark management 
measures. NMFS has changed the time and location of the scoping meeting 
that was scheduled to be held in Gloucester, MA, on October 9, 2008. 
This meeting will now be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the 
Peabody Institute Library, 82 Main Street, Peabody, MA, 01960. The 
schedule for the other scoping meetings remains unchanged.
    In addition to the scheduled scoping meetings, NMFS will also 
present the issues and options presentation to the five Atlantic 
Regional Fishery Management Councils and the Atlantic and Gulf States 
Marine Fisheries Commissions during the public comment period. Please 
see the Councils' and Commissions' summer and fall meeting notices for 
dates, times, and locations. Finally, NMFS also expects to present the 
issues and options presentation at the fall 2008 HMS Advisory Panel 
(AP) meeting. The date and location of the AP meeting will be announced 
in a future Federal Register notice.
    Comments received on this action will assist NMFS in determining 
the options for rulemaking to conserve and manage shark resources and 
fisheries, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the 2006 
Consolidated HMS FMP.

Scoping Meetings Code of Conduct

    The public is reminded that NMFS expects participants at the 
scoping meetings to conduct themselves appropriately. At the beginning 
of each meeting, a representative of NMFS will explain the ground rules 
(e.g., alcohol is prohibited from the meeting 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; 
attendees may not interrupt one another, etc.). The NMFS representative 
will structure the meeting so that all attending members of the public 
will be able to comment, if they so choose. Attendees are expected to 
respect the ground rules, and those that do not will be asked to leave 
the meeting.

Special Accommodations

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

    Dated: September 10, 2008.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-21779 Filed 9-16-08; 8:45 am]
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