[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 212 (Thursday, October 31, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 56213-56214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27905]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 102296A]


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 public meeting to consider actions affecting New England 
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone. There will also be a 
discussion of applications received for permits for two separate 
experimental scallop fisheries.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 6, 1996, at 10 
a.m., and on Thursday, November 7, 1996, at 8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Radisson Eastland Hotel, 157 
High Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone (207) 775-5411. 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:

November 6, 1996

    After introductions, the November 6 session will begin with issues 
related to sea scallop management. The Council will discuss and provide 
policy guidance to the Scallop Oversight Committee on the use of 
separable and transferable units of fishing effort. A framework 
adjustment to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (Sea 
Scallop FMP) also will be considered. Monkfish management issues will 
be addressed on Wednesday afternoon. The Monkfish Committee will ask 
the Council to finalize a range of proposed management measures. An 
accompanying draft public hearing document will be reviewed and 
modified.

Background Information for Abbreviated Rulemaking--Atlantic Sea 
Scallops

    The Council will consider initial action on Framework Adjustment 9 
to the Sea Scallop FMP under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking 
procedure contained in 50 CFR 648.90. The action would extend the state 
waters exemption to include the 400 lb (181.44 kg) trip limit for 
general category scallop permit holders. Currently, scallopers holding 
this type of permit are prohibited from landing more than 400 lb 
(188.44 kg) per trip, even when fishing strictly within state waters.

November 7, 1996

    On November 7 the meeting will start with reports from the Council 
Chairman, Acting Executive Director, NMFS Regional Administrator, 
Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council liaisons, and representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard and the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). The Groundfish 
Oversight Committee will discuss, but will not request final action on 
two framework adjustments to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. The first 
action would modify the Amendment 7 effort reduction measures for 
gillnet vessels and the second would establish an alternative to the 
current haddock possession limit. Final action may be taken on a third 
framework adjustment concerning general permit category scallop 
fishermen who are affected by the Amendment 7 groundfish regulations. 
The Council also will discuss ASMFC's winter flounder management 
strategy. In the afternoon, the Council will consider a herring and 
mackerel joint venture application by World Wide Trading, Inc., and the 
appointment of advisors to the Responsible Fishing Committee. Changes 
in Council operations brought about by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Public Law 94-265) will be addressed 
at the end of the day along with any other outstanding business.

Background Information for Abbreviated Rulemaking--Northeast 
Multispecies

    The Council will consider final action on Framework Adjustment 21 
to the Northeast Multispecies FMP under the framework for abbreviated 
rulemaking procedure contained in 50 CFR 648.90. The modification would 
allow general category scallop permit holders to fish with small 
dredges for scallops only (no regulated species bycatch). The current 
groundfish regulations prohibit the use of dredges because they have 
not demonstrated a less than 5 percent bycatch of regulated species by 
weight.
    The Council will consider public comments at a minimum of two 
Council meetings prior to making any final recommendations to the 
Regional Administrator under the provisions for abbreviated rulemaking 
cited above. If the Regional Administrator concurs, the measures will 
be published as a final rule in the Federal Register.

Announcement of Experimental Fishery Applications

    There will be a discussion and opportunity for the public to 
comment on two experimental scallop fisheries proposed in conjunction 
with two Saltonstall/Kennedy (S/K) Grant awards. The Regional 
Administrator is considering issuing experimental fishing permits 
(EFPs) to vessels involved in each project. The Westport Scallop 
Corporation received an S/K Grant to demonstrate bottom seeding and 
off-bottom grow-out of Atlantic sea scallops in an offshore commercial 
setting. The proposed experimental fishery would involve collection and 
landing of in-shell scallops with less than 3.5 inch (89 mm) shell 
height to study behavior, disease, growth and

[[Page 56214]]

mortality related to various holding and tagging strategies. EFPs are 
necessary to exempt participating vessels from the prohibition on 
landing in-shell scallops smaller than the minimum shell height of 3.5 
inches (89 mm). The results of the experimental fishing studies would 
be used to maximize the success of the S/K Grant funded offshore grow-
out systems.
    SER Enterprises received an S/K Grant to investigate finfish 
bycatch reduction. One commercial fishing vessel would be chartered to 
conduct the experiments for the project. The proposed experimental 
fishery would involve testing finfish excluder devices installed on 
commercial scallop dredge gear. An EFP is necessary to exempt the 
participating vessel from the days-at-sea and crew size restrictions of 
the scallop regulations and gear restrictions of the Northeast 
multispecies regulations.
    Following the conclusion of the public meeting, the Council will 
hold a closed session for the purpose of discussing the now vacant 
Executive Director position.

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 (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 
days prior to the meeting date.

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

    Dated: October 25, 1996.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-27905 Filed 10-30-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F