[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 25 (Thursday, February 6, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6916-6917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-02355]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XX038]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Bluefish Fishery;
Scoping Process
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; public scoping meetings; requests for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council announces its
intent to prepare, in cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries
Service and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an
amendment to the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan. An
Environmental Impact Statement may be necessary for the amendment under
the National Environmental Policy Act to analyze the impacts of any
proposed management measures. The Council has initiated this amendment
in order to perform a review of the sector-based allocations,
commercial allocations to the states, goals and objectives of the
management plan, transfer processes, and develop a rebuilding plan.
This notice announces the Council's supplemental public process for
determining the scope of issues to be addressed, and for identifying
the significant issues related to the bluefish fishery in the Greater
Atlantic region. This notice is to alert the interested public of the
Council's scoping process, the potential development of a draft
Environmental Impact Statement, and to provide for public participation
in that process.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before 11:59 p.m., EST,
on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Eleven supplemental public scoping meetings
will be held during this comment period. See Supplementary Information
for dates, times, and locations.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent by any of the following
methods:
Email to the following address:
[email protected]. Include ``Bluefish Scoping Comments''
in the subject line;
Mail or hand deliver to Dr. Christopher M. Moore,
Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North
State Street, Suite 201, Dover, Delaware 19901. Mark the outside of the
envelope ``Bluefish Scoping Comments''; or
Fax to (302) 674-5399.
The scoping document may be obtained from the Council office at the
previously provided address, or by request to the Council by telephone
(302) 674-2331, or via the internet at http://www.mafmc.org.
Comments may also be provided verbally at any of the eleven
supplemental public scoping meetings. See Supplementary Information for
dates, times, and locations.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Christopher M. Moore, Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover,
DE 19901, (telephone 302-674-2331).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
More details on the topics addressed in this supplementary
information section may be found in the Bluefish Amendment Scoping
Document (see ADDRESSES) and on the bluefish allocation amendment page
of the Council's website at http://www.mafmc.org/actions/bluefish-allocation-amendment.
The Council, in cooperation with the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission, has initiated this action in order to (1) update
the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) goals and objectives for
bluefish management; (2) perform a comprehensive review of the bluefish
sector allocations, commercial allocations to the states, and transfer
processes within the Bluefish FMP; and 3) initiate a bluefish
rebuilding plan. Some questions for consideration in this amendment:
(1) Are the existing goals and objectives appropriate for managing the
bluefish fishery; (2) is the existing allocation between the commercial
and recreational sectors based on the annual catch limit appropriate
for managing the bluefish fishery; (3) are the existing commercial
state allocations appropriate for managing the bluefish fishery; (4)
are the existing transfer processes appropriate for managing the
bluefish fishery; and (5) what is the appropriate approach to take for
rebuilding?
The scoping period is an important opportunity for members of the
public to raise concerns related to the issues that will be considered
in the amendment. The Council needs your input to identify management
issues, develop effective alternatives, and identify possible impacts
to be considered. Public comments early in the amendment development
process will help the Council address issues of public concern in a
thorough and appropriate manner. Comments can be made in writing or
during the scoping hearings as described above (see ADDRESSES).
[[Page 6917]]
Following the scoping process, the Council will develop a range of
management alternatives to be considered and potentially prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the impacts of the
management alternatives being considered as required by the National
Environmental Policy Act. A draft EIS will be distributed for public
review. During a 30-day public comment period which will include public
hearings, the public may comment on any aspect of the draft EIS.
Following a review of the comments, the Council will then choose
preferred management measures for submission with the Final EIS to the
Secretary of Commerce to publish a proposed and then final rule. An
additional comment period will be available during the rulemaking
process.
Scoping Hearings
The Council will take and discuss scoping comments on this
amendment at the following eleven supplemental scoping meetings dates
and locations:
1. Thursday, February 13, 2020 from 7:30-9 p.m.: Massachusetts
Maritime Academy, Admiral's Hall, 101 Academy Drive, Buzzards Bay, MA
02532.
2. Tuesday, February 18, 2020 from 6-8 p.m.: Ocean County
Administration Bldg., Rm. 119, 101 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ 08753.
3. Wednesday, February 19, 2020 from 7-8 p.m.: Delaware Dept. of
Natural Resources & Environmental Control Auditorium, Richardson &
Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901.
4. Tuesday, February 25, 2020 from 4:45-6 p.m.: Berlin Library, 13
Harrison Avenue, Berlin, MD 21811.
5. Wednesday, February 26, 2020 from 7:30-9 p.m.: University of
Rhode Island Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road,
Narragansett, RI 02882.
6. Wednesday, February 26, 2020 from 8-9 p.m.: Connecticut
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Marine Headquarters
Boating Education Center (Rear Building), 333 Ferry Road, Old Lyme, CT
06371.
7. Thursday, February 27, 2020 from 6-7 p.m.: North Carolina
Division of Marine Fisheries Central District Office, 5285 Highway 70
West, Morehead City, NC 28557.
8. Thursday, February 27, 2020 from 7-9 p.m.: Stony Brook
University, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Room 120
Endeavour Hall; Stony Brook, NY 11794.
9. Monday, March 2, 2020 from 6-8 p.m.: Merritt Island Service
Center Complex, 2575 N Courtenay Parkway, Room 205, Merritt Island, FL
32953.
10. Monday, March 2, 2020 from 6-7 p.m.: Virginia Marine Resources
Commission, 380 Fenwick Road, Building 96, Fort Monroe, VA 23651.
11. Wednesday, March 4, 2020 from 6-7:30 p.m.: Internet webinar
accessible at http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/bf_allocation_rebuilding_scoping/. Audio is available by dialing 1-800-
832-0736 and entering room number 5068609.
Special Accommodations
The scoping hearings are accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should
be directed to M. Jan Saunders (302-674-2331, ext 251) at least 5 days
prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 3, 2020.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-02355 Filed 2-5-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P