The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), Division of Fish and Wildlife will conduct a virtual public hearing on Thursday, December 21, 2023, beginning at 6:00 p.m. to consider comments from the public on the proposed revisions to 7 DE Admin. Code 3755 Lobsters (Homarus americanus) (Docket No. 2023-R-F-0020).

This proposed revision of 7 DE Admin. Code 3755 Lobsters (Homarus americanus) is being proposed to comply with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Addendum XXIX to Amendment 3 to the American Lobster Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which requires all vessels with federal lobster permits to install and maintain an electronic tracking device that will transmit location data while the vessel is in the water. The FMP is requiring the electronic trackers because the trackers are now required by a NOAA Fisheries federal regulation intended to reduce interactions between fishing boats and gear and the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale.

The proposed amendments may be inspected online starting December 1, 2023 at regulations.delaware.gov/services/current_issue.shtml, or in-person, by appointment only, by contacting John Clark by phone at 302-739-9914 or by email at John.Clark@delaware.gov.

The hearing record on the proposed changes to 7 DE Admin. Code 3755 will open December 1, 2023. The virtual public hearing will be held on Thursday, December 21, 2023, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The web link to the virtual hearing can be accessed through the DNREC Public Hearings site at de.gov/dnrechearings. If prompted, use Meeting ID: 885 0576 5378 Passcode: 499825. To access the audio-only portion of the virtual hearing, dial (305) 224-1968 and enter the Meeting ID and Passcode noted above. Closed captioning is available in over 20 languages, including English and Spanish, to attendees via the Zoom platform utilized for all DNREC Public Hearings.

Those wishing to offer verbal comments during DNREC public hearings must pre-register no later than noon of the date of the virtual hearing at de.gov/dnreccomments or by telephone at 302-739-9001.

Public comments will be received until close of business Friday, January 5, 2024. Comments will be accepted in written form via email to DNRECHearingComments@delaware.gov, or by using the online form at de.gov/dnreccomments, or by U.S. mail to the following address:

Lisa A. Vest, Hearing Officer
Office of the Secretary
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
89 Kings Highway
Dover, DE 19901

Related Topics:  fish and wildlife, fisheries, lobsters, permitting and regulation, public comment, public hearing, public notice, regulations