Notice2023-22662
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Public Meeting
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 13, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a public webinar to collect input on summer flounder commercial mesh regulations and exemptions.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 197 (Friday, October 13, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 197 (Friday, October 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70935-70936]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22662]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD450]
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Public Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
[[Page 70936]]
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; public meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a public
webinar to collect input on summer flounder commercial mesh regulations
and exemptions.
DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, from 2
p.m. until 5 p.m. EDT. For agenda details, see SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held via webinar. Connection information
will be posted prior to the meeting at <a href="http://www.mafmc.org">www.mafmc.org</a>.
Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N
State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; telephone: (302) 674-2331;
<a href="http://www.mafmc.org">www.mafmc.org</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D., Executive
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, telephone: (302)
526-5255.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
(Council) will host a webinar to collect public input on multiple
summer flounder commercial trawl mesh regulations topics, as described
below. The Council is seeking feedback to consider whether
modifications to these measures may be needed and will review these
topics at the December 2023 Council meeting jointly with the Atlantic
States Marine Fisheries Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black
Sea Bass Board (Board).
The first issue is the minimum mesh size requirements for the
commercial summer flounder trawl fishery. The Fishery Management Plan
(FMP) currently allows two options for summer flounder minimum mesh
sizes: 5.5-inch diamond or 6.0-inch square. The Council and Board have
previously reviewed information suggesting that the selectivity of the
6.0'' square mesh is not equivalent to that of the 5.5'' diamond mesh,
and the 6.0'' square mesh may be retaining too many undersized summer
flounder. Additional input is being sought from industry on use
patterns of these two minimum mesh sizes, factors influencing choice of
mesh, cost of modifications to mesh size regulations, and whether
modifications to the minimum mesh size may be necessary.
There are two exemptions to the minimum mesh size regulations that
are also under review for Council and Board consideration in December
2023: (1) the Small Mesh Exemption Program, and (2) the flynet
exemption. Vessels landing more than 200 lb of summer flounder east of
longitude 72[deg] 30.0' W, from November 1 through April 30, and using
mesh smaller than 5.5-inch diamond or 6.0-inch square are required to
obtain a small mesh exemption program (SMEP) permit from NMFS. The
exemption is designed to allow vessels to retain some bycatch of summer
flounder while operating in other small-mesh fisheries. This exemption
program is being reviewed to determine whether it is still meeting its
original intention, and if changes to the SMEP are needed relative to
the area, timing, possession limit, or other aspects of the program.
Vessels fishing with a two-seam otter trawl flynet are also exempt
from the minimum mesh size requirements. Exempt flynets have large mesh
in the wings that measure 8 to 64 inches, the belly of the net has 35
or more meshes that are at least 8 inches, and the mesh decreases in
size throughout the body of the net, sometimes to 2 inches or smaller.
Previous Council and Board discussions have suggested that the flynet
exemption is being used to fish with ``high rise'' nets that may not
meet the regulatory definition of flynets, pointing to a potential
enforcement and compliance issues and/or a need to revise the
regulatory language. The Council is seeking additional input from
industry on how these two exemptions are used and any recommendations
for modifications to the program, including consideration of whether
they are still needed.
The primary target audience for this webinar includes: (a) any
commercial industry participant using trawl gear to fish for summer
flounder, (b) commercial fishing industry participants utilizing either
of the summer flounder mesh size exemptions while targeting any
species, (c) any stakeholder with knowledge of these gear types and
their use, and (d) any member of the public who wishes to provide
comments or recommendations on these regulations. Additional
information, background documents, and instructions for providing
written comments will be posted to the Council's website at: <a href="https://www.mafmc.org/">https://www.mafmc.org/</a>.
Special Accommodations
The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should
be directed to Shelley Spedden, (302) 526-5251, at least 5 days prior
to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 6, 2023.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-22662 Filed 10-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 13, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.