[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 198 (Friday, October 10, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60245-60246]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-24165]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XL05


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold 
four public hearings to solicit comments on proposals to be included in 
the Draft Amendment 3 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before 5 p.m. EST, 
November 10, 2008. The public hearings will be held from October 27, 
2008 to October 30, 2008. For specific dates and times, see 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: The Council will take comments at public meetings in Hyannis 
and New Bedford, MA, Narragansett, RI and Portsmouth, NH. For specific 
locations, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. Written comments should be 
sent to Patricia Kurkul, Regional Administrator, National Marine 
Fisheries Service, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Comments 
may also be sent via fax to (978) 281-9135 or submitted via e-mail to 
[email protected] with ``Comments on Skate Draft Amendment 3'' 
in the subject line. Requests for copies of the public hearing document 
and other information should be directed to Paul J. Howard, Executive 
Director, New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 
2, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: (978) 465-0492. The public hearing 
document is also accessible electronically via the Internet at http://www.nefmc.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council proposes to take action to amend 
the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and to 
address the new and revised requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fisheries Act. The Council will consider comments from fishermen, 
interested parties and the general public on the proposals and 
alternatives described in the public hearing document for Draft 
Amendment 3 to the Northeast Skate Complex FMP. Once it has considered 
public comments, the Council will approve final management measures and 
prepare a submission package for NMFS. There will be an additional 
opportunity for written public comments on the proposed rule when it is 
published in the Federal Register.
    Major elements of the proposals in the Draft Amendment 3 and a 
Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement include: (1) measures 
to reduce catch via time/area closures and/or skate possession limits 
to rebuild overfished smooth, thorny and winter skates as well as to 
stop overfishing of thorny skate; (2) implementation and specification 
of annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) to 
comply with a new mandate of the reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act; and 
(3) an annual specification and bi-annual review process to replace an 
obsolete baseline review procedure. There are two options for 
allocating ACLs to the skate wing and skate bait fisheries. There is 
also a hard total allowable catch (TAC) and soft TAC option to 
implement ACLs and AMs.
    The dates, times, locations and telephone numbers of the hearings 
are as follows:
    Monday, October 27, 2008 at 7 p.m. - Radisson Hotel, 287 Iyannough 
Road, Hyannis, MA 02601; telephone: (508) 771-1700.
    Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 7 p.m. - Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny 
Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740; telephone: (508) 997-0046.
    Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 7 p.m. - Narragansett Town Hall, 25 
Fifth Avenue, Narragansett, RI 02882; telephone: (401) 789-1044.
    Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 7 p.m. - Urban Forestry Center, 45 
Elwin Road, Portsmouth, NH 03801; telephone: (603) 431-6774.

Special Accommodations

    These hearings are physically accessible to people with physical 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Paul J. Howard (see ADDRESSES) at 
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.


[[Page 60246]]


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

    Dated: October 7, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-24165 Filed 10-9-08; 8:45 am]
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