[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 160 (Friday, August 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41060-41061]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17776]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG414


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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), jointly 
with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission's) 
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board (Board), will hold 10 
public hearings, including one webinar hearing, to solicit public 
comments on the Draft Summer Flounder Commercial Issues and Goals and 
Objectives Amendment to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

DATES: Written public comments must be received on or before 11:59 p.m. 
EST, October 12, 2018. The meetings will be held between September 10, 
2018 and September 27, 2018. For specific dates and times, see 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: The hearing documents are accessible electronically via the 
internet at: http://www.mafmc.org/actions/summer-flounder-amendment or 
by request to Dr. Chris Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council, 800 N State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; 
telephone: (302) 674-2331.
    Meeting addresses: The public hearings will be held in Bourne, MA; 
Narragansett, RI; Old Lyme, CT; Stony Brook, NY; Toms River, NJ; Dover, 
DE; Berlin, MD; Newport News, VA; and Washington, NC. One additional 
hearing will be held by internet webinar. For specific locations, see 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Public comments: Written comments may be sent by any of the 
following methods:
     Email to: [email protected]; Include ``Summer 
Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment Comments'' in the subject line.
     Submit via webform at: www.mafmc.org/comments/summer-flounder-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 ``Summer Flounder 
Commercial Issues Amendment Comments.''
     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 have been preparing 
an amendment to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP, 
known as the ``Summer Flounder Commercial Issues and Goals and 
Objectives Amendment.'' This amendment considers modifications to the 
qualification criteria for Federal commercial moratorium summer 
flounder permits, the current allocation of summer flounder commercial 
quota, and the current list of frameworkable items in the FMP 
(specifically, it considers adding a framework provision for commercial 
landings flexibility). An additional purpose of the action is to revise 
the FMP goals and objectives for summer flounder only. Additional 
information and amendment documents are available at: http://www.mafmc.org/actions/summer-flounder-amendment.
    The Council and Board will hold 10 public hearings on this 
amendment, during which Council or Commission staff will brief the 
public on the contents of the amendment documents and alternatives 
under consideration, prior to opening the hearing for public comments. 
The hearings schedule is as follows:
    1. Monday, September 10, 2018 at 7 p.m.: Connecticut Department of 
Energy and Environmental Protection Marine

[[Page 41061]]

Headquarters Boating Education Center (Rear Building), 333 Ferry Road, 
Old Lyme, CT 06371.
    2. Wednesday, September 12, 2018 at 6 p.m.: North Carolina Division 
of Marine Fisheries Washington Regional Office, 943 Washington Square 
Mall, US Highway 17, Washington, NC 27889.
    3. Thursday, September 13, 2018 at 6 p.m.: Delaware Dept. of 
Natural Resources & Environmental Control Auditorium, Richardson & 
Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901.
    4. Thursday, September 13, 2018 at 6 p.m.: Virginia Marine 
Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, 4th Floor, Newport News, 
VA 23607.
    5. Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.: Bourne Community 
Center, Room #2, 239 Main Street, Buzzards Bay, MA 02532.
    6. Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at 6 p.m.: University of Rhode 
Island Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road, Narragansett, 
RI 02882.
    7. Monday, September 24, 2018 at 6 p.m.: Ocean County 
Administrative Building, 101 Hooper Ave., Toms River, NJ 08753.
    8. Tuesday, September 25, 2018 at 6 p.m.: Ocean Pines Library, 
11107 Cathell Rd., Berlin, MD 21811.
    9. Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.: New York State 
Department of Environmental Conservation, School of Marine and 
Atmospheric Sciences (SOMAS), Room 120 Endeavor; Stony Brook 
University, Stony Brook, NY 11794.
    10. Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.: Internet webinar. 
Connection information to be posted at www.mafmc.org prior to the 
meeting.

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.

    Dated: August 14, 2018.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-17776 Filed 8-16-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P