[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