[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 239 (Thursday, December 11, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 75382-75383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-29377]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 635

RIN 0648-AW61


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Swordfish Quotas

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

ACTION: Extension of comment period and change of public hearing date 
and time.

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SUMMARY: In order to provide additional time and opportunities for 
highly migratory species (HMS) constituents, and other interested 
parties to comment on the proposed rule published on November 18, 2008 
(73 FR 68398), to adjust the 2008 North and South Atlantic swordfish 
commercial quotas and modify the vessel chartering regulations, NMFS is 
extending the proposed rule comment period for this action from 
December 18, 2008, to January 16, 2009. NMFS is also changing the date 
and time of the December 16, 2008, public hearing scheduled for 
Gloucester, MA, to January 15, 2009.

DATES: Comments on the proposed rule must be received no later than 
5:00 p.m. on January 16, 2009.
    The new Gloucester, MA, public hearing date and time is January 15, 
2009, from 3:00 -- 5:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by [0648-AW61], by any 
one of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov
     Fax: 301-713-1917, Attn: LeAnn Southward Hogan
     Mail: NMFS SF1, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 
20910
    Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public record 
and will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without 
change. All Personal Identifying Information (for example, name, 
address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly 
accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or 
otherwise sensitive or protected information.
    NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter N/A in the required 
fields, if you wish to remain anonymous). You may submit attachments to 
electronic comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF 
file formats only.
    Copies of the supporting documents including the 2007 Environmental 
Assessment (EA), Regulatory Impact Review (RIR), Final Regulatory 
Flexibility Analysis (FRFA), and the Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) are available from the HMS website at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/ or by contacting LeAnn Southward Hogan (see 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
    The public hearing location is: National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Regional 
Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LeAnn Southward Hogan or Karyl 
Brewster-Geisz by phone: 301-713-2347 or by fax: 301-713-1917.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Atlantic swordfish fishery is 
managed under the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP. Implementing regulations 
at 50 CFR part 635 are issued under the authority of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), 
16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA), 
16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. Regulations issued under the authority of ATCA 
carry out the recommendations of the International Commission for the 
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).
    On November 18, 2008 (73 FR 68398), NMFS published a proposed rule, 
requested comments on the adjustment of the 2008 swordfish quotas and 
modifications to the vessel chartering regulations, and scheduled two 
public hearings in December 2008 to receive comments from fishery 
participants and other members of the public regarding the proposed 
rule. The original comment period was scheduled to conclude on December 
18, 2008, and the Gloucester, MA public hearing was scheduled for 
December 16, 2008. Due to requests from HMS fishery constituents, in 
order to provide additional time and opportunities for public comment 
by HMS constituents, NMFS is extending the public comment period on the 
proposed rule to 5 p.m., January 16, 2009, and changing the date of the 
Gloucester, MA public hearing to January 15, 2009 from 3:00 -- 5:00 
p.m.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.


[[Page 75383]]


    Dated: December 5, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-29377 Filed 12-10-08; 8:45 am]
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