[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7936-7937]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-3416]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Parts 649, 650 and 651
[I.D. 020395B]
New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings and
Hearings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Public meetings and hearings.
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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold
a 2-day public meeting and hearing to consider actions affecting the
New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
DATES: The meetings are scheduled as follows:
1. February 15, 1995, 10 a.m.
2. February 16, 1995, 8:30 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at King's Grant Inn, Route 128 and
Trask Lane, Danvers, MA 01923; telephone: 508-774-6800.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas G. Marshall, Executive
Director, New England Fishery Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus,
MA 01906, telephone: 617-231-0422.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Wednesday, February 15, 1995
The meeting will begin with a report on the 19th Northeast Regional
Stock Assessment Workshop. Information concerning Gulf of Maine cod and
Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank white hake will be presented. Following the
stock assessment report, the Council's Northeast Multispecies
Groundfish Committee (Groundfish Committee) will present an update on
the development of Framework Adjustment 9 to the Fishery Management
Plan (FMP) for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery that would
permanently extend the groundfish emergency rule and its amendment,
which are currently in effect, with some modifications (see below).
As part of Amendment 7 to the FMP for the Northeast Multispecies
Fishery, the Council will discuss the recommendations of the Groundfish
Committee to protect overfished groundfish stocks. These may include
time/area closures, catch quotas, the impacts of fishing effort
displacement, Canadian harvest of transboundary stocks, and other
measures. The discussion of Amendment 7 may continue through the
afternoon.
If time is available during the afternoon reports will be given by
the Council Chairman; Council Executive Director; Director, Northeast
Region, NMFS (Regional Director); Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Liaison; Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Liaison; and a
representative from the U.S. Coast Guard.
Any remaining reports will be covered on Thursday, February 16,
1995, in the morning.
Thursday, February 16, 1995
The Lobster Committee will present recommendations on the
management strategies drafted by its Effort Management Teams for
inclusion in Amendment 6 to the FMP for the American Lobster Fishery.
The Lobster Committee will also initiate action on a framework
adjustment to address criteria for limited access permits (see below).
The Sea Scallop Committee will finalize a framework adjustment to
the FMP for the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery in which the Council
proposes to allow only limited use of nets to harvest sea scallops and
to restrict the size of twine tops used in sea scallop dredges. Any
other relevant business will be addressed at the end of the discussion
on the framework adjustment for sea scallops.
Abbreviated Rulemaking Action--Northeast Multispecies
The Council will consider final action on Framework Adjustment 9 to
the FMP for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery under the framework
procedure for abbreviated rulemaking contained in 50 CFR 651.40. At its
December 7 and 8, 1994, meetings, the Council announced that it would
initiate a framework adjustment that would permanently implement the
emergency interim rule and the amendment to the emergency interim rule
now in place for 3 months, with some modifications. These emergency
actions close areas of Georges Bank and southern New England to all
fishing and scalloping, with some stated exceptions, prohibit the
possession of regulated multispecies finfish, and limit the possession
of certain other species when using small-mesh nets. The public is
invited to comment. If the Regional Director concurs with the Council's
recommendations on Framework Adjustment 9, he could publish them as a
proposed or a final rule in the Federal Register.
Abbreviated Rulemaking Action--Atlantic Sea Scallops
The Council will consider final action on an adjustment to the FMP
for the Atlantic Sea Scallop fishery under the framework procedure for
abbreviated rulemaking contained in 50 CFR 650.40. The Council proposes
to allow only limited use of nets to harvest sea scallops and to
restrict the size of twine tops used in sea scallop dredges. There will
be final decisions on the issues of continued fishing during the permit
appeals process, the use of nets while fishermen are not in the days-
at-sea program, and final specification of the twine top restriction.
This framework was reviewed at the December 7 and 8, 1994, and January
11 and 12, 1995, Council meetings, but comments from the public will
again be accepted on February 16, 1995. If the Regional Director
concurs with the Council's recommendations on this framework
adjustment, he could publish them as a proposed or a final rule in the
Federal Register.
Abbreviated Rulemaking Action--American Lobster
The Council will consider initial action on an adjustment to the
American Lobster FMP under the framework procedure for abbreviated
rulemaking contained in 50 CFR 649.43. At its January 11 and 12, 1995,
meeting, the Council announced that it would initiate a framework
adjustment that would modify eligibility criteria for lobster limited
access permits to address the following circumstances: (1) The
eligibility of fishermen who fished for lobsters in the EEZ prior to
the January 9, 1991, control date, but who did not have a Federal
lobster permit; (2) permit holders who leased their federally endorsed
lobster permits to another person; (3) a captain with a federally
[[Page 7937]] endorsed lobster permit who operated a vessel for an
individual who did not have a permit; (4) transfers of federally
endorsed state lobster permits that occurred some time between the
control date and the implementation date of Amendment 5 to the FMP for
the American lobster fishery; (5) holders of federally endorsed lobster
permit who fished on the same vessel together; and (6) a person who
inherits a vessel once owned by an individual with a federally endorsed
permit. Final action is expected at the March 29 and 30, 1995, Council
meeting. The public will be encouraged to attend these meetings and
provide comments or submit them in writing. If the Regional Director
concurs with Council's recommendations on this framework adjustment, he
could publish them as a proposed or a final rule in the Federal
Register.
Special Accommodations
The meetings on February 15-16, 1995, are physically accessible to
people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or
other auxiliary aids should be directed to Douglas G. Marshall at 617-
231-0422, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 6, 1995.
David S. Crestin,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-3416 Filed 2-7-95; 4:29 pm]
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