[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 163 (Thursday, August 22, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 52123-52125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-20513]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 635

RIN 0648-XC812


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 2006 Consolidated Highly 
Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan; Amendment 7

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: NMFS will publish a proposed rule for Draft Amendment 7 to the 
2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP) to control bluefin incidental catch (landings and dead 
discards) in the pelagic longline fishery, enhance reporting in all 
categories, and ensure U.S. compliance with the ICCAT-recommend quota. 
As described in the proposed rule, the proposed measures include 
Allocation measures, Area-Based measures, Bluefin Quota Controls, 
Enhanced Reporting measures, and other measures that modify rules with 
respect to how the various quota categories utilize quota. In this 
notice, NMFS announces the dates and logistics for 10 public hearings 
to provide additional opportunities for members of the public to 
comment on the bluefin management measures proposed in Draft Amendment 
7. NMFS will also consult with the HMS Advisory Panel during its 
meeting scheduled September 9-12, 2013. There will be opportunities for 
public comment during open sessions held each day of the Advisory Panel 
meeting.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted until October 23, 2013. Public 
hearings, an advisory panel meeting, and council consultations will be 
held between August 1, 2013 to October 31, 2013, to present information 
about Amendment 7 and to provide opportunities for the submission of 
public comment regarding the proposed rule. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for meeting dates, times, and locations.

ADDRESSES: A total of ten public hearings will be held along the 
Atlantic and Gulf coasts to provide the opportunity for public comment. 
NMFS will also hold an HMS Advisory Panel meeting in Silver Spring, MD, 
during which there will be opportunities for public comment (78 FR 
44095). See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for dates, times, and locations.
    You may submit comments on the proposed rule identified by ``NOAA-
NMFS-2013-0101,'' by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2013-0101, click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, 
complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. Do not 
submit electronic comments to individual NMFS staff
     Mail: Submit written comments to: Thomas Warren, Highly 
Migratory Species Management Division, NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930. Please mark the outside of the envelope 
``Comments on Amendment 7 to the HMS FMP.''
     Fax: 978-281-9347, Attn: Thomas Warren.
     Instructions: Comments must be submitted by one of the 
above methods to ensure that the comments are received, documented, and 
considered by NMFS. Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered. All comments received are a part of the public 
record and generally will be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All Personal Identifying 
Information (for example, name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender will be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential 
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected

[[Page 52124]]

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 or Excel, 
WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Warren or Brad McHale at 978-
281-9260; Craig Cockrell or Jennifer Cudney at 301-427-8503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The North Atlantic tuna fisheries are 
managed under the dual authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and the Atlantic 
Tunas Convention Act (ATCA). Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, NMFS must 
manage fisheries to maintain optimum yield on a continuing basis while 
preventing overfishing. ATCA authorizes the Secretary of Commerce 
(Secretary) to promulgate regulations, as may be necessary and 
appropriate to carry out recommendations of the International 
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The 
authority to issue regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Act and ATCA 
has been delegated from the Secretary to the Assistant Administrator 
for Fisheries, NMFS. Management of these species is described in the 
2006 Consolidated HMS FMP, which is implemented by regulations at 50 
CFR part 635. Copies of the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP and previous 
amendments are available from the Highly Migratory Species Management 
Division Web page at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/hmsdocument_files/FMPs.htmhttp://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/hmsdocument_files/FMPs.htm or from NMFS on request (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
    NMFS will publish Draft Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly 
Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to control 
bluefin landings and dead discards in the pelagic longline fishery, 
enhance reporting in all categories, and ensure U.S. compliance with 
the ICCAT-recommend quota. As described in the proposed rule, the 
proposed management measures include: (1) Allocation measures that 
would make modifications to how the U.S. bluefin quota is allocated 
among the quota categories; (2) area-based measures that would 
implement restrictions on the use of pelagic longline gear in various 
time and area combinations, modify gear restrictions, or provide 
conditional access to current pelagic longline closed areas; (3) 
bluefin Quota Controls that would strictly limit the total catch 
(landings and dead discards) of bluefin in the Longline category using 
different strategies; (4) enhanced reporting measures that would 
implement a variety of new bluefin reporting requirements; and (5) 
other Measures that would make modifications to the rules that control 
how the various quota categories utilize quota, and implement a 
northern albacore tuna quota.
    Request for Comments: A total of ten public hearings will be held 
along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts to provide the opportunity 
for public comment on potential management measures. See Table 1 for 
dates, times and locations of public hearings. NMFS will also consult 
with the HMS Advisory Panel on September 9-12, 2013 (78 FR 44095). 
There will be opportunities for public comment during open sessions 
held each day of the Advisory Panel meeting. See the following Web site 
for additional details on the Advisory Panel meeting, including the 
agenda, presentations and outreach materials (typically available the 
week before the meeting): http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Advisory%20Panels/Advisory_Panel.htm
    NMFS has also requested time on the meeting agendas of the relevant 
Regional Fishery Management Councils (i.e., the Caribbean, Gulf of 
Mexico, South Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, and New England Fishery 
Management Councils) to present information on the proposed rule and 
draft Amendment 7. Information on the date and time of those 
presentations will be provided on the appropriate council agendas.

                         Table 1--Dates, Times and Locations of Upcoming Public Hearings
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              Venue                      Date/Time        Meeting locations      Location contact information
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Public Hearing in association      August 28, 2013, 6    San Antonio, TX....  Hilton Palacio Del Rio, 200 S.
 with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery    p.m.-10 p.m.                               Alamo, San Antonio, TX 78205,
 Management Council meeting).                                                  (210) 222-1400.
Public Hearing...................  September 4, 2013, 6  Gloucester, MA.....  National Marine Fisheries Service,
                                    p.m.-10 p.m.                               Northeast Regional Office, 55
                                                                               Great Republic Drive, Gloucester,
                                                                               MA 01930.
Public Hearing...................  September 18, 2013,   Manteo, NC.........  Community Auditorium, College of
                                    6 p.m.-10 p.m.                             the Albemarle, 132 Russell
                                                                               Twiford Road, Manteo, NC 27954,
                                                                               (252) 473-2264.
Public Hearing...................  September 19, 2013,   Charleston, SC.....  Center for Coastal and
                                    6 p.m.-10 p.m.                             Environmental Health and
                                                                               Biomolecular Research--National
                                                                               Ocean Service, 219 Fort Johnson
                                                                               Road, Charleston, SC 29412.
Public Hearing...................  September 24, 2013,   Belle Chasse, LA...  Plaquemines Parish Government
                                    6 p.m.-10 p.m.                             Community Center (Belle Chasse
                                                                               Auditorium), 8398 Hwy. 23, Belle
                                                                               Chasse, LA 70037, (504) 208-1320.
Public Hearing...................  September 26, 2013,   Portland, ME.......  Gulf of Maine Research Institute,
                                    6 p.m.-10 p.m.                             350 Commercial Street, Portland,
                                                                               ME 04901, (207) 772-2321.
Public Hearing...................  September 30, 2013,   Panama City, FL....  Bay County Public Library, 898 W.
                                    6 p.m.-10 p.m.                             11th St., Panama City, FL 32401,
                                                                               (850) 552-2100.
Public Hearing...................  October 1, 2013, 6    Fort Pierce, FL....  Days Inn Fort Pierce, 3224 U.S. 1,
                                    p.m.-10 p.m.                               Fort Pierce, FL 34982, (772) 465-
                                                                               7000.
Public Hearing...................  October 2, 2013, 6    St. Petersburg, FL.  National Marine Fisheries Service,
                                    p.m.-10 p.m.                               Southeast Regional Office, 263
                                                                               13th Avenue South, Saint
                                                                               Petersburg, FL 33701, (727) 824-
                                                                               5301.
Public Hearing...................  October 8, 2013, 6    Toms River, NJ.....  Ocean County, Public
                                    p.m.-10 p.m.                               Administration Building,
                                                                               Freeholders Meeting Room (119),
                                                                               101 Hooper Ave., Toms River, NJ
                                                                               08754, (732) 929-2147.
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[[Page 52125]]

Public Hearing Code of Conduct

    The public is reminded that NMFS expects participants at public 
hearings and the HMS Advisory Panel meeting to conduct themselves 
appropriately. At the beginning of each meeting, a representative of 
NMFS will explain the ground rules (e.g., alcohol is prohibited from 
the meeting room; attendees will be called to give their comments in 
the order in which they registered to speak; each attendee will have an 
equal opportunity to speak; attendees may not interrupt one another; 
etc.). NMFS representative(s) will structure the meeting so that all 
attending members of the public will be able to comment, if they so 
choose, regardless of the controversial nature of the subject(s). 
Attendees are expected to respect the ground rules, and those that do 
not will be asked to leave the meeting.

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

    Dated: August 19, 2013.
Emily H. Menashes,
Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-20513 Filed 8-20-13; 8:45 am]
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