The meeting will be held on February 4, 2013 beginning at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held via webinar with a listening station at the Council office. Webinar access details will be posted at: http://www.mafmc.org.
Topics will include an increase in the recreational minimum size restrictions, and the establishment of recreational reporting for certain species of sharks.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Moore Ph.D., Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N. State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; telephone: (302) 526-5255.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this meeting is to review and
develop comments from the Council on Amendment 5 to the 2006
Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan. The
proposed measures include changes to commercial quotas and species
groups, the creation of several time/area closures, a change to an
existing time/area closure, an increase in the recreational minimum
size restrictions, and the establishment of recreational reporting for
certain species of sharks. A summary of the measures is available at:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/newslist/2012/11-15-12_a5_proposed_rule_listserv.pdf. The measures are being considered by the National
Marine Fisheries Service (not by the Council) but because of potential
impacts to constituents in the Mid-Atlantic area, the Council is
considering submitting comments on the proposed measures. The public
may also submit comments directly at: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail; D=NOAA-NMFS-2012-0161-0013 until February 12, 2013.
Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject
of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to
those issues specifically listed in this notice 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 final action to address the emergency.