[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 110 (Friday, June 7, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 39329-39330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14364]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[I.D. 060302A]
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold
a 3-day Council meeting on June 24 through 26, 2002, to consider
actions affecting New England fisheries in the U.S. exclusive economic
zone (EEZ).
DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, June
24, 25, and 26, 2002. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Monday and
at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Samoset Resort, 220
Warrenton Street, Rockport, ME 04856; telephone (207) 594-2511.
Requests for special accommodations should be addressed to the New
England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2,
Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone (978) 465-0492.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management Council, (978) 465-0492.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Monday, June 24, 2002
Following introductions, the Council will consider approval of
Skate Committee recommendations concerning outstanding issues related
to the submission of the Draft Skate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and
Draft Environmental Impact Statement to NMFS. The Council also will
review and possibly approve the concept of incorporating skates into
the multispecies complex in a future amendment to the Northeast
Multispecies (Groundfish) FMP. The Council will consider monkfish
management issues for the remainder of the day. Members are scheduled
to approve management alternatives for inclusion in Amendment 2 to the
Monkfish FMP and for purposes of analysis in the associated Draft
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. Measures will include, but
will not be limited to, revisions to the overfishing definition
reference points, adjustments to the day-at-sea program, permit
qualification criteria, and measures to reduce bycatch. The monkfish
discussion will include review and approval of the Habitat Committee's
recommendations for minimizing the impacts of monkfish fishing on
Essential Fish Habitat.
Tuesday, June 25, 2002
The Council meeting will re-convene and begin with an overview of
the measures under consideration to date for inclusion in Amendment 10
to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP. This will be followed by a discussion
of a schedule for Framework Adjustment 15 to the FMP, with a focus on
an adjustment to the days-at-sea allocations and a timeline for
completion. The scallop agenda item also will include the Habitat
Committee's recommendations for minimizing the impacts of scallop
fishing on Essential Fish Habitat. Following the completion of this
discussion, there will be a short open comment period during which the
public may offer remarks on subjects relevant to Council business, but
not on the agenda for this meeting. The day will end with a review of
progress to date on the development of Amendment 13 to the Northeast
Multispecies FMP. This will include the Scientific and Statistical
Committee's recommendations on the Reference Point Working Group Report
prepared by NMFS and the adoption of status determination criteria.
Wednesday, June 26, 2002
The last day of the Council meeting will begin with reports on
recent activities from the Council Chairman and Executive Director, the
NMFS Regional Administrator, Northeast Fisheries Science Center and
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaisons, NOAA General Counsel
and representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, NMFS Enforcement and the
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The remainder of the
Council meeting will be spent on further addressing issues associated
with Amendment 13 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. These include
recommendations from the Groundfish Advisory Panel on alternatives that
will address fishing vessel capacity in the groundfish fishery, and a
report from the Groundfish Plan Development Team (PDT)concerning its
progress to develop management alternatives for presentation to the
Council. The PDT may ask for further direction from the Council to
complete its work.
[[Page 39330]]
Although other non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda
may come before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be
the subjects of formal action during this meeting. Council action will
be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice and
any issues arising after publication of this notice that require
emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act,
provided that the public has been notified of the Council's intent to
take final action to address the emergency.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is 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 days
prior to the meeting date.
Dated: June 4, 2002.
John H. Dunnigan
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 02-14364 Filed 6-6-02; 8:45 am]
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