[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 16, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53407-53408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-21596]


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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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