[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 28, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 15893-15894]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7553]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 649, 650 and 651

[I.D. 031695A]


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Public meeting; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold 
a 2-day public meeting to consider actions affecting the New England 
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meetings are scheduled as follows:
    1. March 29, 1995, 10 a.m.; and
    2. March 30, 1995, 8:30 a.m.
    Comments must be received by March 30, 1995.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the King's Grant Inn, Route 128 
and Trask Lane, Danvers, MA 01923; telephone: 508-774-6800. Comments 
may be sent to the Executive Director, New England Fishery Management 
Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas G. Marshall, Executive 
Director; telephone: 617-231-0422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Wednesday, March 29, 1995

    The meeting will begin with introductions and announcements. The 
Groundfish Oversight Committee will report on its progress in 
developing management alternatives for Amendment 7 to the Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP), in consideration of low 
abundances of key fish stocks in the northeast. This meeting will be 
the first at which the Groundfish Committee-initiated framework 
adjustment to the Northeast Multispecies and Sea Scallop FMPs will be 
discussed. The purpose of the framework is to correct the baseline used 
by Vessel Tracking Systems (VTS) to calculate days at sea (DAS).
    During the afternoon session, Dr. William Hogarth of NMFS will 
brief the Council on the management status of weakfish and striped 
bass. Following his presentation, the Ad Hoc Committee on the 
Reauthorization of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
will discuss aspects of the various reauthorization bills and ask the 
full Council for its views.

Thursday, March 30, 1995

    The Lobster Committee will discuss the list of potential issues to 
be reviewed in the Council's public hearing document for a lobster 
stock rebuilding/effort reduction program. This will be the final 
meeting to consider a framework adjustment to the Lobster FMP that 
would address a range of issues related to lobster limited access 
permits (see below). The Sea Scallop Committee will revisit the issue 
of specifications for twine tops used in scallop gear and referred to 
in Framework Adjustment 5 to the Scallop FMP. This will also be the 
final meeting to consider Framework Adjustment 5 to the FMP that would 
modify gear restrictions for scallop limited access fishing vessels 
(see below). The Gear Conflict Committee will report on its efforts to 
reach an agreement that might reduce interactions between various 
[[Page 15894]] gear types in the New England region. The Herring 
Committee will report on its mid-March meeting held jointly with U.S. 
and Canadian herring industry representatives and management officials.
    If time allows, there will be reports from the Council Chairman; 
Council Executive Director; National Marine Fisheries Service Acting 
Regional Director; Northeast Fisheries Science Center liaison; Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaison; and representatives from 
the Coast Guard and from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 
Commission.

Abbreviated Rulemaking Action--Northeast Multispecies and Atlantic 
Sea Scallops

    This meeting will be the first of two public meetings to consider a 
Groundfish Committee-initiated action on an adjustment to the Northeast 
Multispecies and Sea Scallop FMPs under the framework for abbreviated 
rulemaking contained in 50 CFR 651.40 and 50 CFR 650.40, respectively, 
to correct the baseline used by VTS to monitor and count individual 
vessel DAS. The current regulations indicate the COLREGS Demarcation 
Line as the baseline for the VTS to determine when a vessel is at sea 
for the purpose of counting that day against the vessel's total 
allocation of fishing days. In the process of implementing this system, 
the NMFS Enforcement Division determined that the COLREGS line is 
inappropriate and has proposed an alternative line. The issue will be 
discussed again at the Council meeting on May 17 and 18. The public is 
encouraged to attend and provide comments or submit them in writing 
(see ADDRESSES). If the Director, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional 
Director), concurs with the Council's recommendations on this framework 
adjustment, he could publish it as a proposed or a final rule in the 
Federal Register after the May meetings.

Abbreviated Rulemaking Action--American Lobster

    The Council will consider final action on an adjustment to the 
American Lobster FMP under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking 
contained in 50 CFR 649.44. At its January 11 and 12, 1995, meeting, 
the Council announced it would initiate a framework adjustment that 
would modify eligibility criteria for lobster limited access permits. 
This has been addressed in the following manner: (1) Fishermen who 
fished for lobsters in the EEZ prior to the control date will qualify 
for a lobster limited access permit if participation in the Federal 
fishery can be demonstrated, and they meet all other eligibility 
criteria; (2) a person who owned a lobster vessel, but who leased a 
lobster license and meets all other eligibility criteria will qualify 
for a lobster limited access permit; (3) owners, but not necessarily 
operators, of lobster vessels may be eligible for limited access 
permits, provided they meet all other eligibility criteria; (4) in the 
case of partnership arrangements involving the operation of a single 
vessel, only one limited access permit will be issued; (5) a vessel and 
a federally endorsed lobster permit may be transferred together through 
inheritance, but the transfer of the permit only, without the 
qualifying vessel, may not occur under this circumstance. The public is 
encouraged to attend this meeting and to provide comments or submit 
them in writing to the Council (see ADDRESSES). If the Regional 
Director concurs with the Council's recommendations on this framework 
adjustment, he could publish it 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 
Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking 
contained in 50 CFR 650.40. At its December 8, 1994, and January 12, 
1995, meetings, the Council announced it would initiate a framework 
adjustment that would modify gear restrictions for scallop limited 
access fishing vessels. This has been addressed in the following 
manner: (1) Limited access vessels will be restricted from fishing for 
scallops with nets while under the DAS program unless the vessel has 
not used a scallop dredge since 1987; and (2) limited access vessels 
will be restricted from fishing for scallops, using dredges with twine 
tops that extend the full distance to the club stick while under the 
DAS program. The twine top restriction will require seven rows of steel 
rings for dredges greater than 8 ft (244 cm) wide, or four rows for 
single dredges 8 ft (244 cm) wide or less, between the club stick and 
twine top. The public is encouraged to attend this meeting and to 
provide comments or submit them in writing to the Council (see 
ADDRESSES). If the Regional Director concurs with the Council's 
recommendations on this framework adjustment, he could publish it as a 
proposed or a final rule in the Federal Register.
    These meetings 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: March 22, 1995.
David S. Crestin,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-7553 Filed 3-23-95; 11:05 am]
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