[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 9 (Thursday, January 14, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2111-2112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-507]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XT75


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Monkfish Fishery Management Plan Amendment 5; Public Hearings; 
Request for Comments.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold 
six public hearings to solicit comments on proposals to be included in 
the Draft Amendment 5 to the

[[Page 2112]]

Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before 5 p.m. EST, March 
5, 2010. The public hearings will be held from February 8, 2010 to 
March 5, 2010. For specific dates and times, see SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: The Council will take comments at public meetings in 
Fairhaven, MA; Gloucester, MA; Cambridge, MD; Riverhead, NY; Lakewood, 
NJ and Rockport, ME. For specific locations, see SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION. Written comments should be sent to Patricia Kurkul, 
Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service, 55 Great 
Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Comments may also be sent via fax 
to (978) 281-9135 or submitted via e-mail to [email protected] 
with (Monkfish Amendment 5 Public Hearing Comments) 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.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The New England Fishery Management Council's 
Monkfish Committee is holding public hearings for Amendment 5 to the 
Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The primary purpose of this 
amendment is to address the new requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act that the 
Council adopt Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) and Accountability Measures 
(AMs) and manage the fishery at long-term sustainable levels. According 
to the Act, these measures must be adopted by 2011. Amendment 5 will 
also include revised biological and management reference points to 
bring the FMP into compliance with revised National Standard 1 
Guidelines. Further, Amendment 5 will specify total allowable catch 
targets and associated days-at-sea (DAS) and trip limits for the 
directed fishery to supplant the current specifications that it adopted 
for the 2007-09 fishing years along with an extension provision which 
will apply for the 2010 fishing year. Amendment 5 contains proposals to 
make modifications to the FMP to improve the Research Set-Aside (RSA) 
Program, to minimize bycatch resulting from trip limit overages, to 
accommodate those vessels fishing in groundfish sectors who would no 
longer be required to use their allocated groundfish DAS, to require 
all limited access monkfish vessels to use a VMS when on a monkfish 
DAS, and to allow the landing of monkfish heads.
    The public hearing document, as well as the draft Amendment 5 
document incorporating an Environmental Assessment, is available on the 
Monkfish page of the Council(s website (www.nefmc.org) or from the 
Council office.
    After the close of the public comment period, the Monkfish 
Oversight Committee and Industry Advisory Panel will review the 
comments and develop recommendations to the New England and Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Councils on the measures to be submitted as 
final action for Amendment 5. The Councils will make their decisions in 
April, 2010 for submission to the National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS). If approved by NMFS, Amendment 5 will take effect at the start 
of the 2011 fishing year.
    The dates, times, locations and telephone numbers of the hearings 
are as follows:
    Monday, February 8, 2010 at 1 p.m. - Hampton Inn, One Hampton Way, 
Fairhaven, MA 02719; telephone: (508) 990-8500;
    Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 1 p.m. - Massachusetts Department of 
Marine Fisheries Annisquam River Station, 30 Emerson Avenue, 
Gloucester, MA 01930; telephone: (978) 282-0308;
    Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 8 a.m. - Hyatt Regency Chesapeake 
Bay Hotel, 100 Heron Boulevard at Route 50, Cambridge, MD 21613; 
telephone: (410) 901-1234;
    Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. - Holiday Inn Express 
East End, 1707 Old Country Road, Riverhead, NY 11901; telephone: (631) 
548-1000;
    Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 9 a.m. - Hilton Garden Inn, 1885 
Route 70, Lakewood, NJ 08701; telephone: (732) 262-5232;
    Friday, March 5, 2010 at 9 a.m. - Samoset Resort, 220 Warrenton 
Street, Rockport, ME 04856; telephone: (207) 594-2511.

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.

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

    Dated: January 8, 2010.
William D. Chappell,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-507 Filed 1-13-10; 8:45 am]
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