[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 43 (Monday, March 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13339-13340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-04754]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA916]


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; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) will hold five 
public hearings via webinar and a written comment period to solicit 
public comments on a developing a management action that considers 
initiation and/or modifications to the bluefish fishery management plan 
goals and objectives, sector allocations, commercial allocations to the 
states, rebuilding plan, transfer processes, accounting of management 
uncertainty, and the de minimis provisions.

DATES: The webinar hearings will be held between March 24 and April 8, 
2021. Each hearing will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST. Written 
comments must be received on or before 11:59 p.m. EST, April 23, 2021. 
See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for more details, including the dates and 
times for all hearings.

ADDRESSES: All hearings will be hosted through GoToWebinar. You must 
use GoToWebinar to speak during the hearings. A listen-only call in 
option is also available. Participants will not be able to speak 
through the listen-only phone connection. To access any of the webinar 
hearings, please follow the registration prompts at https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/1167425575591673359. To attend the webinar 
in listen only mode without the ability to speak, you may dial 1-866-
901-6455 and enter access code 140-544-592.
    A public hearing document with more information on this action is 
available at: https://www.mafmc.org/actions/bluefish-allocation-amendment. Copies of the 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] (subject: ``Bluefish 
Amendment'')
     Via webform at: https://www.mafmc.org/comments/bluefish-allocation-rebuilding-amendment.
     Mail to: Chris Moore, Ph.D., Executive Director, Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, 
Dover, DE 19901. Mark the outside of the envelope ``Bluefish 
Amendment.''
     Fax to: 302.674.5399 (subject: ``Bluefish Amendment'')

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 
(Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 
(Commission) are developing a joint action to address the overfished 
status via a rebuilding plan, as well as consider adjusting the 
bluefish fishery management plan goals and objectives, sector 
allocations, commercial allocations to the states, transfer processes, 
the approach to account for management uncertainty, and the de minimis 
provisions. The commercial and recreational allocations are currently 
based on historical landings from 1981-1989. Recent changes in how 
recreational catch is estimated have resulted in a discrepancy between 
the current levels of estimated recreational harvest and the 
allocations to the recreational sector. This action will consider 
whether modifications to the allocations are needed in light of these 
and other changes in the fisheries. Additional information on this 
action is available at: https://www.mafmc.org/actions/bluefish-allocation-amendment.
    The dates and times of the five webinar hearings are listed below. 
You are encouraged to participate in the hearing for your state or 
region; however, all hearings are open to all individuals.
    1. North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida: Wednesday, 
March 24, 2021; 6-8 p.m. EST.
    2. Delaware, Maryland, Potomac River Fisheries Commission, and 
Virginia: Thursday, March 25, 2021. 6-8 p.m. EST.

[[Page 13340]]

    3. Connecticut and New York: Tuesday, March 30, 2021; 6-8 p.m. EST.
    4. Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island: Thursday, 
April 1, 2021. 6-8 p.m. EST.
    5. New Jersey: Thursday, April 8, 2021. 6-8 p.m. EST.

Special Accommodations

    These hearings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Kathy Collins at the Mid-Atlantic 
Council Office, (302) 526-5253, at least 5 days prior to the meeting 
date.

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

    Dated: March 3, 2021.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-04754 Filed 3-5-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P