Reminder


Failure to defeat this rule sets a very dangerous precedent going forward on how HMS deals with increasing discards do to increased fishing effort by longline vs an increasing abundance of Bluefin tunas. We have already lost 160 tons off top this year do to HMS "math".


The comment period is extended from April 14, 2011, to April 28, 2011.
NMFS will schedule two additional public hearings in the Portland, ME and Fairhaven, MA areas to be held within the extended comment period. These public hearings will be announced shortly.
Scheduled meetings that we know about as of today:
1) March 28, 2011, 7-9 p.m., Manteo TownHall, 407 Budleigh Street, Manteo, NC
2) April 1, 2011, 1 to 3 p.m.', NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA

3) April 5, 2011, 5:15-7:15 p.m., Crowne Plaza Hotel, 8777 Georgia Avenue,
Silver Spring, MD

　
You may submit comments (identified by "0648-BA65") through April 28, 2011, by using anyone of the following methods:
Submit electronic comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov
Fax: 978-281-9340, Attn: Sarah McLaughlin
Mail: Sarah McLaughlin, Highly Migratory Species'Management Division, NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930 '.
To be considered, electronic comments must be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Porta~ http://www.regulations.gov. Do not submit electronic. comments to individual NMFS staff.

To find out more about this rule go to http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/breaking_news.htm
and review the March 11, 2011 entry (NMFS Proposes Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Quotas and Atlantic Tuna Fisheries Management Measures, Draft Environmental Assessment, Federal Register Notice March 11, 2011).


ABTA