Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Public Meetings, 58782-58783 [2011-24355]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 184 / Thursday, September 22, 2011 / Notices
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along the coast line of Alaska. Their
traditional subsistence hunts for these
whales have been regulated by catch
limits and other limitations under the
authority of the International Whaling
Commission (IWC) since 1977. Alaska
Native subsistence hunters, from 11
northern Alaskan communities, take
less than one percent of the stock of
bowhead whales per year. Since 1977,
the number of strikes has ranged
between 14 and 72 animals per year,
depending in part on changes in IWC
management strategy due to higher
estimates of bowhead whale abundance
in recent years, as well as hunter
efficiency. The IWC sets an overall
aboriginal subsistence catch limit for
this relevant stock, based on the request
of Contracting Governments on behalf of
the aboriginal hunters. In the case of
Alaska Eskimo and Russian Native
subsistence hunts, the United States and
the Russian Federation make a joint
request for subsistence catch limits for
bowhead whales to the IWC.
NMFS must annually publish a notice
of aboriginal subsistence whale hunting
quotas and any other limitations on
such hunting in the Federal Register (50
CFR 230.6). The subsistence hunt is
directly managed by the Alaska Eskimo
Whaling Commission (AEWC), and the
quotas are issued through annual
amendments to a cooperative agreement
between the AEWC and NOAA. In order
to comprehensively assess the effects of
these annual quotas, NMFS is proposing
to set the term of this analysis to extend
over a 5-year period, beginning in 2013.
Alternatives
NMFS preliminarily anticipates three
alternatives:
Alternative 1 (no action): Do not grant
the AEWC any annual quotas.
Alternative 2: Grant the AEWC annual
quotas amounting to 255 landed whales
over 5 years (2013 through 2017), with
an annual strike quota of 67 bowhead
whales per year, where no unused
strikes are added to the quota for any
one year.
Alternative 3: Grant the AEWC annual
quotas amounting to 255 landed whales
over 5 years (2013 through 2017), with
an annual strike quota of 67 bowhead
whales per year, where no more than 15
unused strikes are added to the strike
quota for any one year. This is the
agency’s preferred alternative and
reflects past IWC action and current
management practices.
NOAA prepared an EIS in 2008 that
analyzed issuing annual quotas to the
Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission for
a subsistence hunt on Bowhead whales
during 2008 through 2012. That analysis
concluded that the overall effects of
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human activities associated with
subsistence whaling results in only
minor impacts on the western Arctic
bowhead whale stock. In light of the
stability of the IWC subsistence harvest
allocations and the subsistence
bowhead harvests by Alaska Natives
over the last ten years, NMFS
anticipates that the new EIS can
estimate environmental consequences
for a 10- to 25-year period, subject to an
Environmental Assessment in 2017 (and
every five years thereafter) to determine
whether any new circumstances would
result in significant environmental
impacts warranting a new EIS.
Major issues to be addressed in this
EIS include: the impact of subsistence
removals on the Western Arctic stock of
bowhead whales; the impacts of these
harvest levels on the traditional and
cultural values of Alaska Natives, and
the cumulative effects of the action
when considered along with climate
change and past, present, and future
actions potentially affecting bowhead
whales.
Public Involvement
We begin this NEPA process by
soliciting input from the public and
interested parties on the type of impacts
to be considered in the EIS, the range of
alternatives to be assessed, and any
other pertinent information.
Specifically, this scoping process is
intended to accomplish the following
objectives:
1. Invite affected federal, state, and
local agencies, Alaska Natives, and
other interested persons to participate in
the EIS process.
2. Determine the potential significant
environmental issues to be analyzed in
the EIS.
3. Identify and eliminate issues
determined to be insignificant or
addressed in other documents.
4. Allocate assignments among the
lead agency and cooperating agencies
regarding preparation of the EIS,
including impact analysis and
identification of mitigation measures.
5. Identify related environmental
documents being prepared.
6. Identify other environmental
review and consultation requirements.
The official scoping period is from the
date of publication in the Federal
Register of this document until October
31, 2011. Please visit NMFS Alaska
Region web page at https://
www.fakr.noaa.gov for more
information on this EIS. NMFS
estimates the draft EIS will be available
in April 2012.
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Authority
The preparation of the EIS for the
subsistence harvest of Western Arctic
bowhead whales by Alaska Natives will
be conducted under the authority and in
accordance with the requirements of
NEPA, Council on Environmental
Quality Regulations (40 CFR 1500–
1508), other applicable Federal laws and
regulations, and policies and procedures
of NMFS for compliance with those
regulations.
Dated: September 16, 2011.
James H. Lecky,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–24392 Filed 9–21–11; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA721
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Council (MAFMC); Public Meetings
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
AGENCY:
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (Council), its
Research Set-Aside (RSA) Committee,
its Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish (SMB)
Committee, its Executive Committee,
and its Spiny Dogfish Committee will
hold public meetings.
DATES: The meetings will be held
Tuesday, October 11 through Thursday,
October 13, 2011. See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION for specific dates and
times.
SUMMARY:
The meetings will be held at
the Dolce Seaview, 401 South New York
Road, Galloway, NJ 08205; telephone:
(609) 652–1800.
Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, 800 N. State St.,
Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901–3910;
telephone: 302–674–2331.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Christopher Moore, Executive Director,
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Council; telephone: (302) 674–2331 ext.
255.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On
Tuesday, October 11, the RSA
Committee will meet from 8:30 a.m.
until 10:30 a.m. The SMB Committee
will meet from 10:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
There will be a Public Listening Session
from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m. On Wednesday,
ADDRESSES:
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jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 184 / Thursday, September 22, 2011 / Notices
October 12, the Executive Committee
will meet from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.
The Council will convene at 9:30 a.m.
Swearing in of the new Council member
will be from 9:30 a.m. until 9:45 a.m.
From 9:45 a.m. until 11 a.m., SMB
Amendment 14 DEIS Alternatives will
be discussed. From 11 a.m. until
12 p.m., the Council will receive a
Standardized Bycatch Reporting
Methodology (SBRM) Report.
Amendment 17 to the Summer
Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) will be
discussed from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. From
3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., Spiny Dogfish
Specifications will be approved as a
Committee of the Whole. From 4:30
p.m. until 5:30 p.m., there will be a
Scoping Presentation on Consolidation
of the Highly Migratory Species (HMS)
FMP. On Thursday, October 13, the
Council will convene at 8:30 a.m. The
RSA Program Review Report will be
heard from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.
From 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., the Council
will conduct its regular Business
Session, receive Organizational Reports,
Council Liaison Reports, Executive
Director’s Report, Science Report,
Committee Reports, and any continuing
and/or new business.
Agenda items by day for the Council’s
Committees and the Council itself are:
On Tuesday, October 11, the RSA
Committee will review the staff
evaluation of the RSA Program and
recommend changes to the RSA
Program to address scientific and
administrative issues. The SMB
Committee will review Amendment 14
analyses and develop recommendations
for preferred alternatives. On
Wednesday, October 12, the Executive
Committee will meet in a closed session
to discuss the Ricks E Savage Award
followed by the Council convening to
swear in the new Council member. The
Council will approve the SMB
Amendment 14 document for public
hearings. Dr. Paul Rago of NMFS will
provide the Council with a report of the
3-year SBRM review. The Council will
review draft alternatives of Amendment
17 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and
Black Sea Bass FMP to address spatial/
regional management of the recreational
black sea bass fishery. The Spiny
Dogfish Committee will meet as a
Committee of the Whole to review the
SSC and the Spiny Dogfish Monitoring
Committee recommendations for 2012
and adopt the recommendations for
2012 management measures. There will
be a NMFS Scoping Presentation on the
Consolidated HMS FMP. On Thursday,
October 13, the Council will convene to
discuss and adopt recommended
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changes to the RSA Program. The
Council will hold its regular Business
Session to approve the August 2011
minutes and address any outstanding
actions from the August 2011 meeting,
Organizational Reports, Liaison Reports,
the Executive Director’s Report, the
Science Report, Committee Reports, and
any continuing and/or new business.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aid should be directed to M.
Jan Saunders, (302) 526–5251 at least
5 days prior to the meeting date.
Dated: September 19, 2011.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–24355 Filed 9–21–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA720
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Council to convene public
meeting.
AGENCY:
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council will convene a
meeting of the Reef Fish Advisory
Panel.
SUMMARY:
The meeting will convene at 1
p.m. on Thursday, October 13, 2011 and
conclude by 12 p.m. on Friday, October
14, 2011.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council, 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite
1100, Tampa, FL 33607.
Council address: Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council, 2203 N.
Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL
33607.
DATES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr.
Steven Atran, Population Dynamics
Statistician; Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council; telephone: (813)
348–1630.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Reef
Fish Advisory Panel (AP) will review
actions by the Scientific and Statistical
Committee (SSC) which meets
immediately prior to the AP meeting.
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58783
The AP will also receive presentations
from representatives of the SSC on how
acceptable biological catch is set, and on
how stock assessments are done. The
AP will then review presentations on
update assessments for vermilion
snapper and gray triggerfish, and will
make recommendations on management
of those stocks. The AP will also review
draft Reef Fish Amendment 35, which
contains actions to modify the
rebuilding plan and management
measures for greater amberjack. The AP
will also discuss red snapper issues
relating to the five year review of the red
snapper individual fishing quota
program, and to the data collection
programs for the recreational red
snapper fishery.
Copies of the agenda and other related
materials can be obtained by calling
(813) 348–1630 or can be downloaded
from the Council’s ftp site, ftp.
gulfcouncil.org.
Although other non-emergency issues
not on the agenda may come before the
Advisory Panel for discussion, in
accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act, those issues may not be the subject
of formal action during this meeting.
Actions of the Advisory Panel will be
restricted to those issues specifically
identified in the agenda and any issues
arising after publication of this notice
that require emergency action under
Section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act, provided the public has been
notified of the Council’s intent to take
action to address the emergency.
Special Accommodations
These meetings are physically
accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language
interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Kathy Pereira at
the Council (see ADDRESSES) at least 5
working days prior to the meeting.
Dated: September 16, 2011.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–24303 Filed 9–21–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA719
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
AGENCY:
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 184 (Thursday, September 22, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58782-58783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-24355]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XA721
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Public Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), its
Research Set-Aside (RSA) Committee, its Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish
(SMB) Committee, its Executive Committee, and its Spiny Dogfish
Committee will hold public meetings.
DATES: The meetings will be held Tuesday, October 11 through Thursday,
October 13, 2011. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and
times.
ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Dolce Seaview, 401 South
New York Road, Galloway, NJ 08205; telephone: (609) 652-1800.
Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N.
State St., Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901-3910; telephone: 302-674-2331.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Christopher Moore, Executive
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; telephone: (302)
674-2331 ext. 255.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On Tuesday, October 11, the RSA Committee
will meet from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. The SMB Committee will meet
from 10:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. There will be a Public Listening Session
from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m. On Wednesday,
[[Page 58783]]
October 12, the Executive Committee will meet from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30
a.m. The Council will convene at 9:30 a.m. Swearing in of the new
Council member will be from 9:30 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. From 9:45 a.m.
until 11 a.m., SMB Amendment 14 DEIS Alternatives will be discussed.
From 11 a.m. until 12 p.m., the Council will receive a Standardized
Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM) Report. Amendment 17 to the Summer
Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) will
be discussed from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. From 3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.,
Spiny Dogfish Specifications will be approved as a Committee of the
Whole. From 4:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., there will be a Scoping
Presentation on Consolidation of the Highly Migratory Species (HMS)
FMP. On Thursday, October 13, the Council will convene at 8:30 a.m. The
RSA Program Review Report will be heard from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.
From 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., the Council will conduct its regular
Business Session, receive Organizational Reports, Council Liaison
Reports, Executive Director's Report, Science Report, Committee
Reports, and any continuing and/or new business.
Agenda items by day for the Council's Committees and the Council
itself are: On Tuesday, October 11, the RSA Committee will review the
staff evaluation of the RSA Program and recommend changes to the RSA
Program to address scientific and administrative issues. The SMB
Committee will review Amendment 14 analyses and develop recommendations
for preferred alternatives. On Wednesday, October 12, the Executive
Committee will meet in a closed session to discuss the Ricks E Savage
Award followed by the Council convening to swear in the new Council
member. The Council will approve the SMB Amendment 14 document for
public hearings. Dr. Paul Rago of NMFS will provide the Council with a
report of the 3-year SBRM review. The Council will review draft
alternatives of Amendment 17 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black
Sea Bass FMP to address spatial/regional management of the recreational
black sea bass fishery. The Spiny Dogfish Committee will meet as a
Committee of the Whole to review the SSC and the Spiny Dogfish
Monitoring Committee recommendations for 2012 and adopt the
recommendations for 2012 management measures. There will be a NMFS
Scoping Presentation on the Consolidated HMS FMP. On Thursday, October
13, the Council will convene to discuss and adopt recommended changes
to the RSA Program. The Council will hold its regular Business Session
to approve the August 2011 minutes and address any outstanding actions
from the August 2011 meeting, Organizational Reports, Liaison Reports,
the Executive Director's Report, the Science Report, Committee Reports,
and any continuing and/or new business.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should
be directed to M. Jan Saunders, (302) 526-5251 at least 5 days prior to
the meeting date.
Dated: September 19, 2011.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-24355 Filed 9-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P