Paul J. Diodati Director

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries 251 Causeway Street, Suite 400 Boston, MA 02114 (617) 626.1520 Fax (617) 626.1509

Deval Patrick Governor Ian Bowles Secretary

October 18, 2005
MarineFisheries Advisory

Dear Interested Parties & Area 2 Commercial Lobster Permit Holder:

Due to re-scheduling of the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission (MFC) business meeting in November, MarineFisheries has amended the time and location of the public hearing on the Area 2 lobster fishery effort control plan. Therefore, MarineFisheries and the MFC will hear comments on the final plan as approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) American Lobster Board at a 10AM hearing on Wednesday, November 9th at the Holiday Inn – Taunton (700 Myles Standish Blvd., Taunton). The notice with revised time and location is provided below.

If the ASMFC Lobster Board does not enact an effort control plan at its October 31st meeting, then MarineFisheries will cancel this hearing. Notice of cancellation will be sent via e-mail to all subscribers of the MarineFisheries “Listserv” and the notice will be posted on the MarineFisheries web site (www.mass.gov/marinefisheries) by Tuesday November 2nd.

For complete details on draft regulations please visit our website at www.mass.gov/marinefisheries.

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 9, 2005

Under the provisions of M.G.L. Ch 30A and pursuant to the authority found in M.G.L. Ch. 130 ss. 17, 17A, 80, and 104, Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission (MFAC) have scheduled a hearing on Addendum VII to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. The addendum, approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in November, proposes to implement an effort control plan in the commercial lobster pot fishery in Lobster Management Area 2, including the following plan elements:

1. A moratorium on new permits for commercial fishing of lobster traps in Area 2;
2. Establishment of an Area 2 fishery-wide overall Trap Allocation Cap by the ASMFC Board;
3. Allocation of individual permit-based Trap Allocations based on past performance; and
4. A program to allow transferability of trap allocations among permit holders.

A public hearing has been scheduled:
Wednesday, November 9, 2005 (10:00 AM) at the Holiday Inn – Taunton (700 Myles Standish Blvd., Taunton).

Comments received by e-mail (marinefisheries@state.ma.us), fax (617.626.1509), or
mail (251 Causeway St., Suite 400; Boston, MA 02114) will be accepted until 5PM on Friday, November 11, 2005.