[Federal Register: September 16, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 180)]
[Notices]
[Page 53407-53408]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16se08-25]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XK41
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Meeting of the Atlantic Highly
Migratory Species Advisory Panel
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
[[Page 53408]]
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting, public hearing, and scoping meetings.
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SUMMARY: NMFS will hold a 3-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS)
Advisory Panel (AP) meeting in September and October 2008. The intent
of the meeting is to consider options for the conservation and
management of Atlantic HMS. The meeting is open to the public. A public
hearing and scoping meetings will be held in conjunction with the AP
meeting.
DATES: The AP meeting will be held from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday,
September 30, 2008, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 1,
2008; and from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon on Thursday, October 2, 2008. See
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for public hearing and scoping meeting dates,
times, and locations.
ADDRESSES: All meetings will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 8777
Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Othel Freeman or Chris Rilling at 301-
713-2347.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., as amended by the
Sustainable Fisheries Act, Public Law 104-297, provided for the
establishment of an AP to assist in the collection and evaluation of
information relevant to the development of any Fishery Management Plan
(FMP) for HMS. NMFS consults with and considers the comments and views
of AP members when preparing and implementing FMPs or FMP amendments
for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks. The AP has
previously consulted with NMFS on: the HMS FMP (April 1999), Amendment
1 to the HMS FMP (December 2003), Amendment 1 to the Billfish FMP
(April 1999), the Consolidated HMS FMP (October 2006), and Amendments 1
and 2 to the Consolidated HMS FMP (April 2008). The September and
October 2008 AP meeting will focus on conservation and management
options for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks. NMFS is
considering several amendments to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP,
including an amendment to update essential fish habitat, an amendment
to rebuild blacknose sharks which are overfished with overfishing
occurring, and an amendment to improve permitting and reporting and
address other relevant management issues in Caribbean HMS fisheries. As
listed in the table below, NMFS will hold a public hearing and scoping
meetings to receive comments from the AP and members of the public.
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Public Hearing and
Scoping Meetings Date Location
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Public hearing for September 30, 2008; Crowne Plaza Hotel,
Essential Fish Habitat 3:30-4:30 p.m. 8777 Georgia Ave.,
Draft Amendment 1 to Silver Spring, MD
the Consolidated HMS 20910
FMP
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Scoping meeting for October 1, 2008; 3:30- Crowne Plaza Hotel,
Small Coastal Shark 4:30 p.m. 8777 Georgia Ave.,
Draft Amendment 3 to Silver Spring, MD
the Consolidated HMS 20910
FMP
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Scoping meeting for October 2, 2008; 8:30- Crowne Plaza Hotel,
Caribbean Draft 9:30 a.m. 8777 Georgia Ave.,
Amendment 4 to the Silver Spring, MD
Consolidated HMS FMP 20910
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Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Othel Freeman at (301) 713-2347, at least 7 days
prior to the meeting.
Dated: September 11, 2008.
James P. Burgess
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-21596 Filed 9-15-08; 8:45 am]
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