[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 17, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 37241-37242]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-18081]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 070596D]


New England Fishery Management Council; 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 2-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in 
the exclusive economic zone.

DATES: The meeting will begin on Wednesday, July 17, 1996, at 10 a.m. 
and on Thursday, July 18, 1996, at 8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, Route One, 
Peabody, MA; telephone (508) 535-4600. Requests for special 
accommodations should be addressed to the New England Fishery 
Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906-1097; telephone: (617) 
231-0422.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

July 17, 1996

    After introductions, the July 17 session will begin with a report 
on and discussion of the Canadian Program for Responsible Fishing 
Operations. The Marine Mammal Committee report will follow and include 
a recommendation to take final action on Framework Adjustment 16 to the 
Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (Multispecies FMP) that 
would extend the timing of the Mid-coast Closure Area. An additional 
measure under consideration for the same framework adjustment would 
prohibit the use of pelagic and any other gillnets in the harbor 
porpoise time/area closures under certain conditions.
    In the afternoon, the Multispecies Groundfish Committee will review 
and possibly recommend changes to the gillnet effort reduction measures 
currently in the FMP. Additionally, they will discuss membership on the 
Council's Multispecies Monitoring Committee, progress on the 
development of a fishery management plan for whiting, and possible 
alternatives to the Gulf of Maine

[[Page 37242]]

groundfish area closures. The Council also will consider final action 
on Framework Adjustments 17 and 18, as explained below. There will also 
be an update on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's 
(ASMFC's) Winter Flounder Plan.

July 18, 1996

    The July 18 session will begin with reports from the Council 
Chairman; Executive Director; Director, Northeast Region, NMFS 
(Regional Director); and representatives from the Northeast Fisheries 
Science Center; ASMFC; U.S. Coast Guard; and the Mid Atlantic Council. 
The Herring Committee Chairman will brief the Council on the outcome of 
the most recent United States/Canada meeting. The Enforcement Committee 
will discuss its review of the management alternatives proposed for 
inclusion in the proposed monkfish fishery management plan (Monkfish 
FMP). There will be a discussion of the experimental fishery for 
mahogany quahogs in the Gulf of Maine. The Regional Director is 
considering an experimental fishery for vessels involved in a Fishing 
Industry Grant (FIG) entitled ``Local Production and Market Development 
for High Quality Cape Cod Shark Frozen Fillets.'' The objective of the 
project is to enhance dogfish processing and marketing. Operations 
under the FIG grant have become restricted by the implementation of 
Amendment 7 to the Multispecies FMP and therefore possibly threaten the 
success of the grant. Experimental fishing permits would be necessary 
for vessels to continue to operate as they had done under Amendment 5 
to the FMP. The Regional Director is considering issuing experimental 
fishing permits for federally permitted vessels that may be involved in 
a continuation of a gear development project conducted by the 
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MADMF) in the Cape Cod Bay/
Massachusetts Bay area. The purpose of the experimental fishery is to 
continue to test and refine a MADMF constructed trawl and the 
associated fishing technique as a selective type of gear that can be 
used in the whiting fishery, as well as the dogfish and red hake 
fisheries. The MADMF expects its experimental net to retain primarily 
whiting, red hake, and dogfish while minimizing the catch of bottom 
dwelling groundfish. The information compiled by MADMF from last year's 
experiment has been reviewed by NMFS and supports continuation of the 
project.
    The afternoon session will include reports from the Gear Conflict 
and Monkfish Committees. There will be a briefing on the most recent 
industry meeting concerning a proposed framework adjustment to address 
the Southern New England gear conflict situation, as well as a status 
report on the development of monkfish management alternatives. The 
Monkfish Committee will present a Monkfish FMP draft public hearing 
document for Council comment. The Council will address any other 
outstanding business at the conclusion of the agenda items described 
above.

Background for Framework Adjustments

Abbreviated Rulemaking--Northeast Multispecies

    At the recommendation of its Marine Mammal Committee, the Council 
will consider final action on Framework Adjustment 16 to the 
Multispecies FMP under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking 
procedure contained in 50 CFR 648.90. The Council proposes to further 
reduce the bycatch of harbor porpoise in the Gulf of Maine sink gillnet 
fishery by extending the timing of the Mid-coast Closure Area. 
Currently, the use of sink gillnets is prohibited from November 1 
through December 31. This adjustment would add September 15 through 
October 31 to the existing period. No change in area is proposed 
although the Council may recommend an experimental fishery to continue 
the assessment of the use of acoustic deterrents to mitigate the 
porpoise bycatch.
    Final action also may be taken on a provision to prohibit the use 
of pelagic and other gillnets during the harbor porpoise time/area 
closures. The measure, which also would be included in Framework 
Adjustment 16, would allow such gillnets if they were constructed of 
mesh less than the regulated size of 6 inches (15 cm), were not 
anchored to the bottom but attached to the boat, had surface floats, 
and were set in the top third of the water column. The Council is 
considering two options for the length of the net, 300 feet (91 m) and 
900 feet (274 m).
    At the recommendation of its Groundfish Committee, the Council will 
consider final action on Framework Adjustments 17 and 18 to the 
Multispecies FMP. Framework Adjustment 17 would restore DAS to vessels 
that took time out of the groundfish fishery between May 31 and July 1 
and were then subject to a DAS allocation under Amendment 7, which 
again subtracted days for those same months. This adjustment would 
rectify the inequity. Framework Adjustment 18 would allow herring/
mackerel fishing with pelagic mid-water trawls in areas of Georges Bank 
now closed to all gear capable of catching groundfish.
    The Council will consider public comments at a minimum of two 
Council meetings prior to making any final recommendations to the 
Regional Director under the provisions for abbreviated rulemaking cited 
above. If the Regional Director concurs with the measures proposed by 
the Council, he will publish them as a final rule in the Federal 
Register.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Douglas G. Marshall, New England Fishery 
Management Council (see ADDRESSES), at least 5 days prior to the 
meeting date.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: July 11, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-18081 Filed 7-11-96; 4:51 pm]
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