# New England Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings
**AGENCY:**
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
**ACTION:**
Notice; public hearings.
**SUMMARY:**
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold eight public hearings to solicit comment on Draft Amendment 5 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
**DATES:**
Written public comments must be received on or before 5 p.m. EST, Monday, April, 9, 2012. The hearings will be held between March 2 and March 29, 2012. For specific dates and times, see *SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION* .
**ADDRESSES:**
The hearings will be held in Rockport, ME; Gloucester, MA; Portsmouth, NH; Fairhaven, MA; Portland, ME; Plymouth, MA; Warwick, RI and Cape May, NJ. For specific locations, see *SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION* .
*Written comments:* Should be mailed to Council office at the address below. Mark on the envelope “Comments on Draft Herring Amendment 5”. Comments may also be sent via fax to (978) 465-3116 or submitted via email to *[email protected] * with “Comments on Draft Herring Amendment 5” in the subject line. The public hearing document can be obtained by contacting the New England Fishery Management Council at the address below.
*Council address:* New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
These hearings are being scheduled in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. During or after these hearings, additional opportunities for comments on the Amendment 5 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) may be provided in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. The agenda for the following eight hearings is as follows: NEFMC staff will brief the public on the herring amendment prior to opening the hearing for public comments. The schedule is as follows:
**Amendment 5 Public Hearings: Locations, Schedules, and Agendas**
1. *Friday, March 2, 2012 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.;* Samoset Hotel, 220 Warrenton Street, Rockport, ME 04856; telephone: (207) 594-2511.
2. *Wednesday, March 14, 2012 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m.;* Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries Annisquam River Station, 30 Emerson Ave., Gloucester, MA 01930; telephone: (978) 282-0308.
3. *Thursday, March 15, 2012 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m.;* Sheraton Harborside Hotel, 250 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801; telephone: (603) 431-2300.
4. *Monday, March 19, 2012 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m.;* Seaport Inn, 100 Middle Street, Fairhaven, MA 02719; telephone: (508) 997-1281.
5. *Wednesday, March 21, 2012 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m.;* Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 Spring Street, Portland, ME, 04101; telephone: (207) 775-2311.
6. *Tuesday, March 27, 2012 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m.;* Radisson Plymouth, 180 Water St., Plymouth, MA 02360; telephone: (508) 747-4900.
7. *Wednesday, March 28, 2012 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m.;* Hilton Garden Inn, One Thurber St., Warwick, RI 02886; telephone: (401) 734-9600.
8. * Thursday, March 29, 2012 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m.;* Congress Hall, 251 Beach Ave., Cape May, NJ 08204; telephone: (609) 884-8421.
**Special Accommodations**
These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Paul J. Howard (see *ADDRESSES* ), at least 5 working days prior to the meeting date.
**Authority:**
16 U.S.C. 1801 *et seq.*
Dated: February 10, 2012.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.