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Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; Amendment 10 Butterfish Stock Rebuilding and Amendment 11 Atlantic Mackerel Limited Access Program

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 [Federal Register: February 27, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 38)]
[Notices]
[Page 8693]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27fe07-37]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 021407A]

Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel,
Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; Amendment 10 Butterfish Stock
Rebuilding and Amendment 11 Atlantic Mackerel Limited Access Program

AGENCY:  National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION:  Supplemental Notice Of Intent (NOI) to prepare an
environmental impact statement; request for comments.

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SUMMARY:  On December 19, 2005, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Council (Council), in cooperation with NMFS, announced its intent to
prepare an environmental assessment (EA) for Amendment 10 (butterfish
stock rebuilding program) and a supplemental environmental impact
statement (SEIS) for Amendment 11 (Atlantic mackerel limited access
program) to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery
Management Plan (FMP). Since then, the Council and NMFS have concluded
that a SEIS must be prepared for Amendment 10; therefore, this
supplemental NOI seeks comments on Amendment 10. In addition, the
Council hereby notifies the public that SEIS documents for Amendment 10
and Amendment 11 will be developed simultaneously, but each amendment
will remain separate fishery management actions.

DATES:  Public comments on the supplementary NOI for Amendment 10 must
be received no later than 5 p.m., eastern standard time, on March 29, 2007.

ADDRESSES:  Copies of supporting documents used by the Council are
available from: Daniel Furlong, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, Room 2115, Federal Building, 300 South New
Street, Dover, DE 19904-6790.
    Written comments on the supplementary notice of intent for
Amendment 10 may be sent by any of the following methods:
    ? E-mail to the following address: MSBAmendment10@noaa.gov.
Include in the subject line of the e-mail comment the following
document identifier: ``Comments on MSB Amendment 10'';
    ? Mail to Daniel Furlong, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, Room 2115, Federal Building, 300 South New
Street, Dover, DE 19904-6790. Mark the outside of the envelope
``Comments on MSB Amendment 10''; or
    ? Fax to Daniel Furlong, 302-674-5399.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Carrie Nordeen, Fishery Policy
Analyst, phone 978-281-9272, fax 978-281-9135.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Amendment 10 Butterfish Stock Rebuilding

    The most recent stock assessment for Atlantic butterfish indicated
that while overfishing of the stock is not occurring, the stock is
overfished because the most recent estimates of stock biomass are
slightly below the minimum biomass threshold supporting maximum
sustainable yield (50 percent of BMSY). Based on this
information, NMFS notified the Council that the butterfish stock is
designated as being overfished as defined under the Magnuson-Stevens
Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The
purpose of Amendment 10 to the FMP is to develop a management program
consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act which would rebuild the
butterfish stock to the level associated with BMSY. After a
preliminary analysis of the action, the Council believed that an EA
would fulfill the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA). However, during the development and preliminary analyses of
alternatives for rebuilding strategies and possible management
measures, it became apparent that some of the measures being considered
could potentially have significant effects on the human environment,
particularly the Loligo squid fishery. Potential measures being
considered are no action, gear modifications, area management, and
bycatch/retention requirements. In order to consider the full range of
alternatives potentially necessary to rebuild the overfished butterfish
stock, the Council has determined that the development of a SEIS will
be necessary to fulfill the requirements of NEPA and this supplemental
notice of intent requests comments on this action.

Amendment 11 Atlantic Mackerel Limited Access Program

    On March 4, 2005 (70 FR 10605), the Council published an NOI to
prepare a SEIS to consider the impacts of alternatives for limiting
access to the Atlantic mackerel fishery. The Council subsequently
conducted scoping meetings on the development of a limited access
program, which the Council originally planned to include in Amendment 9
to the FMP. However, due to unforeseen delays in the development of
Amendment 9, the Council subsequently notified the public on December
19, 2005 (70 FR 75114), that the mackerel limited access program would
be considered in Amendment 11 to the FMP. The Council hereby notifies
the public that it will begin development of Amendment 11 and the
associated SEIS while Amendment 10 is being developed, although the two
amendments will remain separate fishery management actions. Comments
received during the previous scoping period for Amendment 11 will be
considered and no additional comments are being sought at this time.
This notification also reminds the public that interested participants
should locate and preserve records that substantiate and verify their
participation in the Atlantic mackerel fishery in Federal waters.

Request for Comments

    The public will have the opportunity to comment on the measures and
alternatives being considered by the Council for both amendments
through public meetings and public comment periods required by NEPA,
the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act. NMFS
anticipates completing these SEISs and all related documents by early 2009.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: February 21, 2007.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-3336 Filed 2-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S

 
 

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