[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 98 (Wednesday, May 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 27724]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13245]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 051297B]


New England Fishery Management Council; Public 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, May 28, 1997, at 10 a.m. 
and on Thursday, May 29, 1997, at 8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the King's Grant Inn, Route 
128 and Trask Lane, Danvers, MA. 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:

May 28, 1997

    The May 28 session will begin with reports from the Council's 
oversight committees. The Interspecies Committee will discuss 
coordinating vessel replacement and upgrading measures with the Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council and protocols for opening areas now 
closed to most fishing activities.
    Representatives from Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans 
will present an overview of their management measures for Georges Bank 
and reopening of the Atlantic Canada cod fisheries. The Council's 
Herring Committee will review the status of the resource, management 
issues, and research recommendations, in addition to identifying 
scoping issues associated with the development of a fishery management 
plan for herring. The Responsible Fishing Committee will recommend a 
code of conduct for New England fishermen and discuss licensing for all 
fishermen. The Monkfish Committee will brief the Council on its efforts 
to develop management measures for inclusion in an amendment to the 
Multispecies FMP.

May 29, 1997

    The May 29 session will begin with the Council's Groundfish 
Committee's proposed actions on two framework adjustments to the 
Northeast Multispecies FMP. Initial action concerning the bag limit for 
recreational anglers under the framework for abbreviated rulemaking 
procedure contained in 50 CFR 648.82 will be considered. The action 
would make rules for bag limits consistent for all recreational 
fishermen. The Groundfish Committee also intends to propose final 
action on a framework adjustment to the Multispecies FMP that would 
exempt gillnet vessels in the trip boat category from bringing their 
monkfish gillnets to port when fishing under a days-at-sea allocation. 
The Groundfish Committee also will discuss issues associated with 
implementation of a cod trip limit. A report from the Scallop Committee 
will follow. There will be a presentation on the effectiveness of the 
sea scallop management program, a report on the development of a 
fishing effort consolidation program and discussion of reopening the 
Georges Bank closed areas to scalloping. The Large Pelagics Committee 
will report on the recent NMFS Shark Operations Team meeting. The 
Habitat Committee will provide an update on the development of Council 
comments on the Essential Fish Habitat proposed rule concerning 
requirements for fishery management plans. The Gear Conflict Committee 
will brief the Council on several problems in the Gulf of Maine. The 
Council meeting will conclude 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, U.S. Coast Guard and the Mid-
Atlantic Council.

Announcement of an Experimental Fishery Application

    There will be a discussion and opportunity to comment on a proposal 
for an experimental fishery to be conducted by the Virginia Institute 
of Marine Science to evaluate the selectivity and efficiency of 6-inch 
(15.24-cm) mesh scallop trawls.

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: May 15, 1997.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-13245 Filed 5-20-97; 8:45 am]
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