The New England Fishery Management Council announces a schedule of coast-wide scoping hearings being convened to inform the public of both the New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils’ intent to consider catch share management in the monkfish fishery. The attached document defines and explains the different types of catch share programs, the elements and requirements of a catch share program, and various alternative approaches for public consideration.
The Councils hope to elicit early comment from stakeholders by encouraging the public to voice its opinions, comments and concerns about catch share management generally, and about specific elements or programs, in order to assist them in the development of alternatives for formal consideration. The public also is invited to ask questions that the Councils may answer in the course of plan development. See page 6 for some examples.
All correspondence should be emailed to the following address: monkfisha6@noaa.gov. Alternative forms of communication are listed on page 11 of the scoping document. The deadline for comments is 5 p.m. on February 15, 2011.
Read the schedule of hearings.
Read the Monkfish Fishery Managment Plan.