[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 175 (Monday, September 9, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 47472-47473]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22957]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 090396C]


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 special 1-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England 
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone.

DATES: The meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 9, 1996, at 9 
a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, One Newbury 
Street, 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: Christopher B. Kellogg, Acting 
Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council (617) 231-
0422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The September 9, 1996, meeting is being 
convened specifically to consider final action on several pending 
framework adjustments to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP).
    The Council will consider final action on Framework Adjustments 18 
and 19 to the FMP under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking 
procedure contained in 50 CFR 648.90. If approved, Framework Adjustment 
18 would allow herring and mackerel fishing with pelagic mid-water 
trawls in areas of Georges Bank now closed to all gear capable of 
catching groundfish. Framework Adjustment 19, would replace the Gulf of 
Maine area closures now in place to enhance groundfish conservation 
with alternatives that may alleviate some of the economic burden to 
fishermen without compromising the objectives of the FMP.
    The Council considers public comments at a minimum of two Council 
meetings prior to making final recommendations to the Director, 
Northeast Region, NMFS, (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.
    There will be a discussion of an experimental fishery to assess the 
selectivity of longline gear. The Regional Director is considering an 
experimental fishery for a vessel involved in a Saltonstall/Kennedy 
Grant awarded to the New England Aquarium and entitled ``Selectivity 
and Survival of Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) and Haddock (Melanogrammus 
aeglefinus) in a Northwest Atlantic Longline Fishery.'' The 
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MADMF) is assisting in the 
project and would assist in the completion of the experimental fishery. 
The objective of the project is to assess

[[Page 47473]]

the selectivity of bottom longlines currently in use in the fishing 
industry and to attempt to improve the selectivity of longline gear. 
The experimental fishery would involve the use of longline gear 
equivalent to current commercial longline gear as well as experimental 
hooks, bait, and other control gears to compare results. The New 
England Aquarium and the MADMF have received funding for and conducted 
similar selectivity and survival experimental fisheries in the past.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Christopher B. Kellogg at the Council (see 
ADDRESSES).

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

    Dated: September 4, 1996.
Gary Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 96-22957 Filed 9-4-96; 3:10 pm]
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