The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has scheduled two scoping hearings for the public to provide comments on Amendment 16 to the Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fishery management plan. Amendment 16 will consider a range of management measures to protect deep sea corals from the impacts of fishing gear in the Mid-Atlantic region. The first hearing will be held via webinar on February 5th, and the second hearing will be held in Hampton, Virginia on February 13th (see below for more details).
The Council is seeking input from the public on the scope of alternatives to be considered, as well as general comments or concerns relating to deep sea coral protection. Information about the types of measures likely to be considered is available in the Amendment 16 Scoping Document. Measures under consideration would only be applicable within the Mid-Atlantic region but may apply to federally-managed fisheries other than Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish.
Scoping is the first and best opportunity for you to provide input on the scope of issues to be considered. Public comments early in the amendment develoment process help the Council to address your concerns more thoroughly. For more information about how to participate, check out our Guide to Navigating the Council Process.
View the Federal Register Notice of Intent and Scoping for Am. 16
How do I Comment?
Attend a Scoping Hearing
- February 5, 2013, 7 pm - 9 p.m., Internet Webinar: Click Here, or copy the following URL in to your internet browser: https://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/_a1096725599/corals_scoping/ (Firefox or Internet Explorer recommended)
- February 13, 2013, 4 pm - 6 pm, Embassy Suites Hampton Roads, 1700 Coliseum Drive, Hampton, VA 23666, 757-827-8200
Note: We have begun holding a portion of our public hearings online to ensure that all interested individuals are able to participate. The February 5 scoping hearing for Amendment 16 will be conducted entirely online. If you have questions about how to access the webinar, or if you have suggestions for how we can improve our virtual hearings, please contact Jason Didden at jdidden@mafmc.org.
OR
Submit Written Comments
All written comments must be marked as "Deep Sea Corals Scoping Comments" in the subject line of your email/fax or on the outside of your envelope.
- Email your comments to nmfs.ner.msbam16@noaa.gov
- Mail your comments to Chris Moore, Ph.D., Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901
- Fax your comments to Chris Moore, Ph.D., (302) 674-5399.
Deadline: February 15, 2013