[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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