[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 153 (Friday, August 8, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 42737-42738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-20955]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 073197B]


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, August 20, 1997, at 10 
a.m., and on Thursday, August 21, 1997, at 8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Colonial Hilton, 427 Walnut 
Street

[[Page 42738]]

(Route 128 South), Wakefield, MA; telephone (617) 245-9300. 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: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council (617) 231-0422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

August 20, 1997

    The election of 1996-1997 Council officers is scheduled to take 
place immediately after introductions by the Chairman. After the 
election, the Monkfish Committee will provide an update on committee 
progress to finalize (monkfish) Amendment 9 to the Northeast 
Multispecies Fisheries Management Plan (FMP). During the Scallop 
Committee Report, the Council will initiate action on a framework 
adjustment to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan that 
would further reduce fishing mortality on the sea scallop resource 
(following on the Plan Development Team's scheduled evaluation of the 
current management measures). The committee will provide an update on 
the Amendment 7 (fishing effort consolidation) public hearing document 
and Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. There also will 
be an update on discussions to allow scallop fishing in areas now 
closed for groundfish conservation. The Aquaculture Committee will 
discuss policy development, project selection criteria, and procedures 
for Council review of aquaculture proposals. Before the meeting is 
adjourned for the day, there will be reports from the Council Chairman, 
Executive Director, NMFS Regional Administrator, Northeast Fisheries 
Science Center and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaisons, 
and representatives of the Coast Guard and the Atlantic States Marine 
Fisheries Commission.

August 21, 1997

    The Groundfish Committee will recommend management of Atlantic 
halibut under the Northeast Multispecies FMP. The Council will take 
final action on Framework Adjustment 24 to the FMP, which contains 
measures that would modify the Gulf of Maine cod trip limit system, 
allow vessels to carry-over a maximum of 10 days-at-sea (DAS) to the 
following fishing year, and provide exemptions for vessels fishing in 
the NAFO Regulated Area. The Lobster Committee Report will forward 
recommendations on management measures proposed by the Atlantic States 
Marine Fisheries Commission. The Gear Conflict Committee will report on 
efforts to facilitate resolution of the otter trawl and lobster trap 
conflict in the Gulf of Maine. The Professional Standards and Practices 
Committee will propose development of a fishermen's logbook that would 
contain a fishing year calendar to track DAS, important management 
information and other facts useful to mariners such as tides, lunar 
phases, etc. A scoping document that would identify issues and suggest 
proposals to eliminate inconsistencies in vessel permit, upgrading, and 
replacement provisions in different fishery management plans will be 
discussed by the Interspecies Committee. There will be an update on 
plans for Council scoping hearings on Atlantic herring management. The 
Council will also develop a recommendation on applications for herring 
joint ventures (JVs) and total allowable levels of foreign fishing 
(TALFF) from Lithuania and Estonia. There will be a recommendation from 
the Mid-Atlantic Plans Committee on the management of the mahogany 
quahog fishery in the Gulf of Maine (proposed for inclusion in 
Amendment 10 to the Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management 
Plan). The committee will also present its recommendations on 
applications for mackerel JV and TALFF from Lithuania and Estonia and 
on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's annual squid, 
mackerel, and butterfish specifications, including the issue of 
mackerel JV. The Council will adjourn the meeting after the conclusion 
of any other outstanding business.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or otherauxiliary 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: August 4, 1997
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-20955 Filed 8-7-97; 8:45 am]
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