[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 76 (Monday, April 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 21835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-08265]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA130]


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of initiation of scoping process; notice of public 
scoping meetings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold two public scoping meetings via webinar and a written comment 
period to solicit public comments on a developing management action to 
consider potential changes to the allocation of the black sea bass 
commercial quota among the states of Maine through North Carolina.

DATES: The webinar scoping hearings will be held on Monday May 11, 
2020, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., EDT and on Thursday, May 14, 2020, from 
6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., EDT. Written comments must be received on or 
before 11:59 p.m. EDT, May 31, 2020. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for 
more details.

ADDRESSES: Both webinar hearings may be accessed at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/bsb-com-allocation-scoping/. Webinar audio will 
also be accessible by phone by dialing 1-800-832-0736 and entering room 
number 5068871. A scoping document is available at: http://www.mafmc.org/actions/bsb-commercial-allocation. Copies of the scoping 
document are also available by request from Dr. Chris Moore, Executive 
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N State Street, 
Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; telephone: (302) 674-2331.
    Public comments: Written comments may be sent by any of the 
following methods:
     Email to: [email protected]; Include ``black sea bass 
commercial allocation amendment'' in the subject line.
     Via webform at: http://www.mafmc.org/comments/bsb-com-allocation-amendment.
     Mail to: Dr. Christopher M. Moore, Executive Director, 
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N. State Street, Suite 
201, Dover, DE 19901. Mark the outside of the envelope ``black sea bass 
commercial allocation amendment.''
     Fax to: (302) 674-5399.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D., Executive 
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, telephone: (302) 
526-5255.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council 
and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) are 
developing a joint action to consider adjusting the allocations of the 
black sea bass commercial quota among states. These allocations were 
loosely based on landings data from 1980-2001. They were first 
implemented in 2003 and have not been modified since that time. They 
are currently included only in the Commission's fishery management plan 
and are not jointly managed with the Council. This joint action will 
consider whether modifications to these allocations should be made to 
account for changes in black sea bass distribution and abundance over 
time, as well as other considerations. It will also consider whether 
the allocations should be added to the Council's Fishery Management 
Plan and managed jointly by the Council and Commission.
    Additional information on this action is available at: http://www.mafmc.org/actions/bsb-commercial-allocation.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are 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 5 days prior to the 
meeting date.

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

    Dated: April 15, 2020.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-08265 Filed 4-17-20; 8:45 am]
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