[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 69 (Thursday, April 10, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 17576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-9160]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 033197B]


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.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 16, 1997, at 10 
a.m. and on Thursday, April 17, 1997, at 8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the Providence Biltmore 
Hotel, 11 Dorrance Street, Kennedy Plaza, Providence, RI; telephone 
(401) 421-0700. Requests for special accommodations should be addressed 
to the New England Fishery Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 
01906-1036; telephone: (617) 231-0422.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council, (617) 231-0422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

April 16, 1997

    The April 16 session will begin with reports from the Council 
Chairman; Executive Director; Regional Administrator, Northeast Region, 
NMFS; representatives from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center; 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC); U.S. Coast Guard; 
and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaison. The Director 
of the Office of Sustainable Development will brief the Council on 
possible financial assistance to help address the issue of latent 
fishing capacity in the New England groundfish fishery. A report from 
the Scallop Committee will follow. The Scallop Committee will review 
proposals for inclusion in a public hearing document for Amendment 7 to 
the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The proposals 
address the transfer of days-at-sea (DAS) and the disposition of 
vessels after DAS are sold. The Herring Committee will review the 
discussions of its joint meeting with the ASMFC Herring Board on annual 
herring specifications for domestic fishing, joint ventures, and 
internal waters processing. The Large Pelagics Committee will discuss 
its draft comments on Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Swordfish FMP and on 
Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Shark FMP.

April 17, 1997

    The April 17 session will begin with a report from the Mid-Atlantic 
Plans Committee. Several provisions of Amendment 10 to the Summer 
Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP will be discussed. The Monkfish 
Committee will summarize the comments received at the recent public 
hearings on Amendment 9 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. The 
Responsible Fishing Committee will update the Council on its efforts to 
develop comments on the NMFS draft Implementation Plan for the Code of 
Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. There will be an update on Essential 
Fish Habitat requirements for FMPs. The Groundfish Committee intends to 
propose initial action on a framework adjustment to the Multispecies 
FMP under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking procedure contained 
in 50 CFR 648.82. This action would allow fishing in the North Atlantic 
Fisheries Organization regulated area without using multispecies DAS 
allocations. The Council meeting will conclude with a report from the 
Interspecies Committee on eliminating inconsistencies in the vessel 
permit, upgrading, and replacement provisions in various FMPs, and the 
development of overall fisheries management policies and objectives.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Paul J. Howard (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days 
prior to the meeting date.

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

    Dated: April 4, 1997.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-9160 Filed 4-9-97; 8:45 am]
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