[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 89 (Friday, May 8, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 25442-25443]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12255]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 042898B]


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 on May 20 and 21, 1998, to consider actions 
affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 20, 1998, at 10 a.m. 
and on Thursday, May 21, 1998, at 8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Seaport Inn, 110 Middle 
Street, Fairhaven, MA 02719; telephone (508) 997-1281. Requests for 
special accommodations should be addressed to the New England Fishery 
Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906-1097; telephone (781) 
231-0422.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council (781) 231-0422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Wednesday, May 20, 1998

    After introductions, the Council will discuss and seek approval of 
the final Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) prepared jointly with 
the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. During the Groundfish 
Committee Report to follow, the committee will recommend approval of 
the public hearing document for Amendment 9 to the Northeast 
Multispecies FMP and the accompanying Draft Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (DSEIS). Measures in the document include revised 
overfishing definitions and the specification of optimum yield to be 
consistent with the reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), a prohibition or possession 
limit for Atlantic halibut, a possession limit for winter flounder in 
the Southern New England and Mid-Atlantic stock areas, limits on the 
use of square mesh in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank to reduce 
juvenile flounder bycatch, a 1-inch increase in the winter flounder 
minimum size, a postponement of the use of electronic vessel monitoring 
systems while resolving outstanding related issues, prohibition of the 
use of ``streetsweeper'' trawl gear, modification the Gulf of Maine cod 
trip limit requirement that a vessel remain in port to account for an 
overage, and application of the Gulf of Maine cod trip limit ``running 
clock'' system to all fisheries managed under a per-day trip limit.
    During the afternoon session, the Habitat Committee will seek 
approval of proposed essential fish habitat designations and 
alternatives for red hake, cod, witch flounder, ocean pout, and 
Atlantic herring for purposes of preparing a public hearing document. 
The committee chairman will also provide an update on progress to 
develop alternatives for other Council-managed species. Before 
adjourning for the day, the Aquaculture Committee will recommend final 
action on a framework adjustment to the Sea Scallop FMP that would 
extend the Westport Scallop Project closure for 18 months.

Thursday, May 21, 1998

    The Council will seek approval of the Sea Scallop Amendment 7 
public hearing document and DSEIS. Measures to be included in the 
document are: Days-at-sea (DAS) reductions, scallop area management, 
and a DAS leasing to be implemented by a future framework adjustment to 
the FMP. An industry-funded vessel buyout program will also be 
discussed. During the Whiting Committee Report, the Council will seek 
approval of measures for preparing a public hearing document and DSEIS 
for a whiting amendment to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. Major 
measures under consideration include a moratorium on commercial 
permits, whiting trip limits, closed areas, mesh size restrictions, 3-
inch mesh areas, changes to the Cultivator Shoal fishery regulations, 
and limits on the amount of fish that can be brought in with a mesh 
less than the minimum size.
    The Council will seek approval of a public hearing document and 
DSEIS for the Atlantic Herring FMP. Measures will include controlled 
access to the fishery, spawning area closures, vessel/dealer operator 
permit requirements, area management, both a target total allowable 
catch (TAC) and TAC that triggers a management action, vessel size 
limits, a prohibition on fishing for the purposes of meal production, 
limits on fishing time, and restrictions on fishing for roe. The 
Dogfish Committee will review recent committee discussions. The meeting 
will conclude with reports from the Council Chairman, Executive 
Director, Administrator, Northeast Region, 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.

Announcement of an Experimental Fishery Application

    The Regional Administrator is considering the authorization of an 
experimental fishery for silver hake (whiting) in the Gulf of Maine. 
The experimental fishery would help to determine appropriate gear type, 
area, and season for a small mesh fishery that would meet the bycatch 
criteria of the Northeast multispecies exempted fishery program. This 
experimental fishery would include modifications of the separator trawl 
experimental fishery conducted in the summers of 1995, 1996, and 1997. 
Exempted fishing permits to conduct experimental fishing would be 
issued to participating vessels to exempt them from DAS, mesh size, and 
other gear restrictions of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
this Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal Council action 
during this meeting. Council action will be restricted to those issues 
specifically listed in this notice.

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.


[[Page 25443]]


    Dated: May 4, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-12255 Filed 5-7-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F