[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 72 (Friday, April 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 22285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8885]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XB166


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold public hearings in April and May of 2012 to allow for public input 
on Amendment 14 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

DATES: Written public comments must be received before 5 p.m. EST, 
Monday, June 4, 2012. The hearings will be held between April 30 and 
May 22, 2012. For specific dates and times, see SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION below.

ADDRESSES: The hearings will be held (chronologically) in Alexandria, 
VA; Riverhead, NY; Newport News, VA; Cape May, NJ; Gloucester, MA; and 
Providence, RI. The Newport News hearing will also be available via 
webinar. For specific locations and webinar access, see SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION below. Written comments should be mailed to the Council 
office at the address below and marked ``AMENDMENT 14.'' The public 
hearing document can be obtained by contacting the Council at the 
address below or at http://www.mafmc.org/fmp/msb.htm.
    Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N. 
State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; telephone: (302) 674-2331.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Moore Ph.D., Executive 
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N. State Street, 
Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; telephone: (302) 526-5255.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Amendment 14 deals with incidental catch and 
general management of blueback herring, alewife, American shad, and 
hickory shad (river herrings and shads or ``RH/S'') in the MSB FMP. The 
Amendment has three purposes: (A) Implement Effective RH/S Catch 
Monitoring; (B) Reduce RH/S Bycatch and/or Catch; and (C) Consider if 
RH/S should be added as species directly managed by the Council. There 
are 9 alternative sets that consider the following management measures:
    Alternative Set 1: Additional Vessel Reporting Measures;
    Alternative Set 2: Additional Dealer Reporting Measures;
    Alternative Set 3: Additional At-Sea Observation Optimization 
Measures;
    Alternative Set 4: Port-side and Other Sampling/Monitoring 
Measures;
    Alternative Set 5: At-Sea Observer Coverage Requirements;
    Alternative Set 6: Mortality Caps on RH/S catch in the MSB 
fisheries.
    Alternative Set 7: Large area restrictions on the MSB fisheries in 
areas of high RH/S catch;
    Alternative Set 8: Smaller hotspot restrictions on the MSB 
fisheries in areas of high RH/S catch;
    Alternative Set 9: Adding RH/S as ``Stocks in the Fishery'' in the 
MSB FMP.
    Summaries of the proposed actions will be available and presented 
at the hearings. The full Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
that analyzes the proposed actions is available by contacting the 
Council office or at  http://www.mafmc.org/fmp/msb.htm after April 
16th. The scheduled public hearings follow. If no one is present 
halfway through a hearing or later, the hearing may be closed. Some GPS 
navigation units may provide faulty directions for these locations so 
call ahead with the number provided if unfamiliar with a hearing 
location. All hearings will be digitally recorded and saved as 
transcripts of the hearing.
    April 30, 2012: 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Crowne Plaza Hotel Old Town; 901 
North Fairfax Street; Alexandria, VA, telephone: (703) 683-6000.
    May 15, 2012: 7-9 p.m.; Hyatt Place Long Island/East End; 451 East 
Main Street; Riverhead, NY, telephone: (631) 208-0002.
    May 16, 2012: 6-8 p.m.; Available via Internet webinar (https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/887273248). There will also be a 
listening station at: The Virginia Marine Resources Commission; 2600 
Washington Avenue; Newport News, VA, telephone: (757) 247-2200.
    May 17, 2012: 7-9 p.m.; Congress Hall Hotel; 29 Perry St; Cape May, 
NJ, telephone: (609) 884-8421.
    May 21, 2012: 6-8 p.m.; Annisquam River Marine Fisheries Station; 
30 Emerson Ave; Gloucester, MA, telephone: (978) 282-0308.
    May 22, 2012: 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Radisson Hotel Providence Airport; 
2081 Post Road; Warwick, RI, telephone: (401) 739-3000.

Special Accommodations

    The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to M. Jan Saunders at the Mid-Atlantic Council 
Office (302) 526-5251 at least five days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: April 10, 2012.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-8885 Filed 4-12-12; 8:45 am]
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