[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 10268]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-3769]



[[Page 10268]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[I.D. 020501C]


Caribbean Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a 
public hearing to obtain input from fishers and the general public on 
its proposed language for the definition of essential fish habitat 
(EFH) for the dolphin/wahoo fishery of the U.S. Caribbean. This 
definition will be part of the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin 
and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico (FMP) 
that is currently under development.

DATES: The public hearing will be held on Tuesday, February 20, 2001, 
at 7 p.m.. Written comments from the public will be accepted through 
until February 20, 2001. See also SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I., at 
the conference room of the Windward Passage Holiday Inn Hotel, located 
at Veterans Drive, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. Written 
comments on the proposed EFH language should be submitted to the 
Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 268 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 
1108, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918-2577; telephone (787) 766-5926. 
Written copies of the proposed EFH definition language are available 
from the Council at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miguel A. Rolon, Executive Director, 
Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 268 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 
1108, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918-2577; telephone (787) 766-5926.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council will hold a public hearing to 
obtain input from fishers and the general public on its proposed 
language for the definition of EFH for the dolphin/wahoo fishery of the 
U.S. Caribbean. The currently proposed language for EFH is the 
following: ``Identify Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for dolphin and 
wahoo in the U.S. Caribbean as any floating natural object in the water 
column, such as Sargassum or other floating algae or any other plant, 
plus ocean fronts where these objects accumulate. Included as EFH are 
those associated species that serve as prey or food for dolphin or 
wahoo. Man-made objects, such as fish attracting devices (FADs), refuse 
and lost nets, are excluded from this definition.'' The Council has 
prepared a written statement of its proposed defintion of EFH for the 
dolphin/wahoo fishery of the U.S. Caribbean, which is available from 
the Council (see ADDRESSES) and will be available at the hearing.
    The Council's intention is to consider the public comment on this 
issue before adopting its final proposed definition of dolphin/wahoo 
EFH for inclusion in the proposed FMP. The FMP is under preparation 
jointly with the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 
Councils. These three fishery management councils intend to hold a 
joint meeting on February 22, 2001, to discuss and adopt final measures 
for the final FMP prior to submitting it to NMFS for review, approval, 
and implementation under procedures of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act. The notice of this meeting was 
published at 50 66 FR 7628 on January 24, 2001.

Special Accommodations

    This hearing is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Mr. Miguel A. Rolon, Executive Director, 
Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 268 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 
1108, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00918-2577, telephone (787) 766-5926, at 
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: February 8, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-3769 Filed 2-13-01; 8:45 am]
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