[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 124 (Friday, June 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36472-36473]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15057]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD356


Caribbean Fishery Management Council; Public Hearing

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

ACTION: Notice of a public hearing.

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SUMMARY: The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a 
public hearing to obtain comments from fishers, the general public and 
the local agencies representatives on the proposed actions for closed 
seasons in each of the Abrir la Sierra, Bajo de Sico and Tourmaline 
Bank closed areas.

DATES: The hearing will be held on July 18, 2014, from 7 p.m. to 10 
p.m.

ADDRESSES: The hearing will be held at the Mayaguez Holiday Inn, 2701 
Hostos Avenue, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 
270 Mu[ntilde]oz Rivera Avenue, Suite 401, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918-
1903, telephone: (787) 766-5926.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council will hold a public hearing to 
take comments on the following proposed actions:

Action 1: Modify the Length of the Closed Fishing Season

Alternative 1: No Action: Retain the existing length of the closed 
season in each of the Abrir La Sierra Bank, Bajo de Sico, and 
Tourmaline Bank closed areas.
Alternative 2: Modify the Bajo de Sico closed season to be December 1-
February 28.
Alternative 3: Modify the closed season to be October 1-March 31 
(Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank (Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative b: Tourmaline Bank (Preferred).
Alternative 4: Modify the closed season to be December 1-May 31.
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank.
    Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico.
    Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank.
Alternative 5: Modify the closed season to be year round.
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank.
    Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico.
    Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank.

Action 2: Modify Reef Fish Fishing Activities

Alternative 1: No Action: Retain the existing reef fish harvest 
regulations in each of the Abrir La Sierra Bank, Bajo de Sico, and 
Tourmaline Bank closed areas.
Alternative 2: Prohibit fishing for Council-managed reef fish in Bajo 
de Sico during the seasonal closure established in Action 1.
Alternative 3: Prohibit fishing for and possession of Council-managed 
reef fish during the seasonal closure established in Action 1 
(Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank (Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative b: Tourmaline Bank (Preferred).

Action 3: Modify Spiny Lobster Fishing Activities

Alternative 1: No Action: Retain the existing spiny lobster regulations 
in each of the Abrir La Sierra Bank, Bajo de Sico, and Tourmaline Bank 
closed areas.
Alternative 2: Prohibit fishing for spiny lobster in Bajo de Sico 
during the seasonal closure established in Action 1.
Alternative 3: Prohibit fishing for and possession of spiny lobster 
during the seasonal closure established in Action 1.
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank.
    Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico.
    Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank.
Alternative 4: Prohibit fishing for spiny lobster year round.
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank.
    Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico.
    Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank.
Alternative 5: Prohibit fishing for and possession of spiny lobster 
year round.
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank.
    Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico.
    Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank.
Alternative 6: Allow fishing for spiny lobster year round (Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank (Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico (Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank (Preferred).

Action 4: Prohibit Anchoring

Alternative 1: No Action: Retain the existing anchoring prohibitions in 
each of the Abrir La Sierra Bank, Bajo de Sico, and Tourmaline Bank 
closed areas.
Alternative 2: Prohibit anchoring during the seasonal closure 
established in Action 1.
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank.
    Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico.
    Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank.
Alternative 3: Prohibit anchoring year round (Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank (Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative b: Tourmaline Bank (Preferred).

[[Page 36473]]

Action 5: Modify Highly Migratory Species Fishing Activities

Alternative 1: No Action: Retain the current Highly Migratory Species 
(HMS) fishing regulations in each of the Abrir La Sierra Bank, Bajo de 
Sico, and Tourmaline Bank closed areas.
Alternative 2: Upon request of the Council, prohibit bottom longline 
fishing for HMS year-round in Bajo de Sico (Preferred).
Alternative 3: Upon request of the Council, prohibit fishing for, and 
possession of, HMS in some or all of the three areas during the 
seasonal closure established in Action 1.
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank.
    Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico.
    Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank.
Alternative 4: Upon request of the Council, prohibit fishing for HMS in 
some or all of the three areas during the seasonal closure established 
in Action 1, with an exception that would allow only surface trolling, 
as defined at Sec.  635.21(a)(4)(iv), for all HMS (Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank (Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico (Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank (Preferred).
Alternative 5: Upon request of the Council, allow fishing for bigeye, 
albacore, yellowfin and skipjack (BAYS) tunas with speargun fishing 
gear in some or all of the three areas during the seasonal closure 
established in Action 1.
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank.
    Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico.
    Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank.

Action 6: Modify Spearfishing Activities

Alternative 1: No Action: Retain the existing spearfishing regulations 
in each of the Abrir La Sierra Bank, Bajo de Sico, and Tourmaline Bank 
closed areas.
Alternative 2: Prohibit spearfishing for Council-managed reef fish 
during the seasonal closure established in Action 1.
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank.
    Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico.
    Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank.
Alternative 3: Prohibit spearfishing for all non-HMS-managed species 
during the seasonal closure established in Action 1 (Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank (Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico (Preferred).
    Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank (Preferred).
Alternative 4: Prohibit spearfishing for all non-HMS-managed species 
year-round.
    Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank.
    Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico.
    Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank.

    Written comments can be sent to the Council not later than July 
31st, 2014, by regular mail to the address below, or via email to 
[email protected].

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. For more information or request for sign language 
interpretation and other auxiliary aids, please contact Mr. Miguel A. 
Rol[oacute]n, Executive Director, Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 
270 Mu[ntilde]oz Rivera Avenue, Suite 401, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 
00918-1903, telephone (787) 766-5926, at least 5 days prior to the 
meeting date.

    Dated: June 24, 2014.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-15057 Filed 6-26-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P