[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 160 (Friday, August 17, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 49782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20215]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); 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 to allow for public input on Amendment 3 to the 
Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before 5 p.m., EST, on 
September 24, 2012. The public hearings will be held on September 4, 5, 
and 6, 2012, starting at 7 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The hearings will be held, in chronological order, as 
follows: September 4, 2012 at the Magnuson Hotel Norfolk Airport, 5708 
Northampton Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA 23455, telephone: (757) 460-2205; 
September 5, 2012 at The Holiday Inn, 151 Route 72 East, Manahawkin, NJ 
08050, telephone: (609) 481-6100; and September 6, 2012 at the Hilton 
Garden Inn Providence Airport/Warwick, One Thuber Street, Warwick, RI 
02886, telephone: (401) 734-9600. Written comments should be mailed to 
the Council office at the address below and marked ``AMENDMENT 3.'' The 
public hearing document can be obtained by contacting the Council at 
the address below or at http://www.mafmc.org/fmp/dogfish/dogfish.htm.
    Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N. 
State St., 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; telephone: (302) 
526-5255.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Amendment 3 addresses four management issues 
related to management of the spiny dogfish fishery in Atlantic federal 
waters. Specifically, the Amendment addresses (1) adding an option for 
allocating a small portion of the annual commercial quota as research 
set-aside, (2) reviewing and updating essential fish habitat (EFH) for 
spiny dogfish, (3) maintaining previous year annual management measures 
in case of a delay in the implementation of new annual measures, and 
(4) modifying the existing seasonal allocation of the annual quota to 
minimize conflicts with the geographically allocated interstate 
fishery.
    Summaries of the proposed actions will be available and presented 
at the hearings. A draft Environmental Assessment (EA) that analyzes 
the proposed actions is available by contacting the Council office at 
http://www.mafmc.org/fmp/dogfish/dogfish.htm after August 31st. If no 
one from the public has arrived half an hour after the hearing start 
time, 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.

Special Accommodations

    These hearings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aid should be directed to M. Jan Saunders, (302) 526-5251, at 
least 5 days prior to the hearing date.

    Dated: August 14, 2012.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-20215 Filed 8-16-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P