[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 5, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 39063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18751]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-AY12


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Spiny Dogfish Amendment 
3 Scoping Process

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

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS); notice of public scoping meetings; requests for comments.

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SUMMARY: The New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils 
(Councils) announce their intention to prepare, in cooperation with 
NMFS, an EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
to assess potential effects on the human environment of alternative 
measures to address several issues regarding the Spiny Dogfish Fishery 
Management Plan.
    This notice announces a public process for determining the scope of 
issues to be addressed, and for identifying the significant issues 
related to amending the plan. This notice is to alert the interested 
public of the scoping process, the development of the Draft EIS, and to 
provide for public participation in that process.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before 5 p.m., EST, on 
September 4, 2009. Four public scoping meetings will be held during 
this comment period. See Supplementary Information for dates, times, 
and locations.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent by any of the following 
methods:
     E-mail to the following address: [email protected]. Please 
note on your correspondence and in the subject line of e-mail comments 
the following identifier: ``Spiny Dogfish Amendment 3 Scoping 
Comments.'';
     Mail or hand deliver to Daniel T. Furlong, Executive 
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Room 2115 Federal 
Building, 300 South New Street, Dover, Delaware 19904-6790. Mark the 
outside of the envelope ``Spiny Dogfish Amendment 3 Scoping Comments''; 
or
     Fax to (302) 674-5399.
    The scoping document may also be obtained from the Council office 
at the previously provided address, or by request to the Council by 
telephone (302) 674-2331, or via the Internet at http://www.mafmc.org/mid-atlantic/comments/comments.htm.
    Comments may also be provided verbally at any of the three public 
scoping meetings. See Supplementary Information for dates, times, and 
locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Daniel T. Furlong, Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council, Room 2115 Federal Building, 300 S. New St., 
Dover, DE 19904-6790, (telephone 302-674-2331).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meetings

    Four scoping meetings to facilitate public comment will be held on 
the following dates and locations:
    1. August 10, 2009, 7:00 p.m., Virginia Marine Fisheries 
Commission, 2600 Building Meeting Room, 2600 Washington Ave., Newport 
News, VA 23607;
    2. August 11, 2009, 7:00 p.m., Ocean County Administration 
Building, Public Hearing Room 119, 101 Hooper Ave, Toms River, 
NJ 08754;
    3. August 12, 2009, 6:30 p.m., New Hampshire Urban Forestry Center, 
45 Elwyn Rd, Portsmouth, NH 03801;
    4. August 13, 2009, 7:00 p.m., Radisson Plymouth, 180 Water Street, 
Plymouth, MA 02360.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aid should be directed to M. Jan Bryan (302-674-2331 ext 18) 
at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Issues Identified for Discussion Under this Amendment

    (1) Research-Set-Aside (RSA) provision: Currently there is no 
option for allocating a portion of the spiny dogfish quota to support 
research projects. The Councils are considering adding an RSA provision 
to the FMP.
    (2) Commercial Quota Allocation Alternatives: Currently, the 
commercial quota for spiny dogfish is allocated seasonally into two 
periods in the fishing year. Period 1 (May 1-Oct 31) is allocated 57.9 
percent of the quota and Period 2 (Nov 1-Apr 30) is allocated 42.1 
percent of the quota. The Councils are considering alternative 
allocation (i.e., geographic) schemes for the Federal quota.
    (3) Specifying the spiny dogfish quota and/or trip limits by sex: 
The Councils are considering modifications to the FMP that would allow 
for sex-specific annual specification of spiny dogfish commercial quota 
and/or trip limits.
    (4) Limited Access Spiny Dogfish Permit: Federal spiny dogfish 
permits are currently available to all vessels. The Councils are 
considering modifying the Federal permit to make it a limited access 
permit. It is possible that an incidental catch permit would also be 
established that would be open access.
    (5) Recreational Spiny Dogfish Fishery: To the extent that 
recreationally caught spiny dogfish are retained, that component of the 
overall fishery is not acknowledged in the FMP. The Councils are 
considering adding management measures for the recreational fishery to 
the FMP.
    Following the scoping process, the Councils may develop additional 
approaches and alternatives (including No Action) to address these 
issues, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act. The above issues under consideration are described in 
greater detail in the scoping document itself; copies may be obtained 
from the Council (see ADDRESSES) or via the Internet at http://www.mafmc.org /comments/comments.htm.

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

    Dated: July 30, 2009.
Kristen C. Koch,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-18751 Filed 8-4-09; 8:45 am]
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