[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 244 (Tuesday, December 21, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71425-71426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33067]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 121499D]


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is 
scheduling a number of public meetings of its oversight committees in 
January, 2000 to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in 
the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from these groups 
will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and 
action, if appropriate.
DATES: The meetings will be held between Wednesday, January 5, and 
Friday, January 28, 2000. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
dates and times.


[[Page 71426]]


ADDRESSES: Meetings will be held in Warwick, RI, Portland, ME, Danvers, 
MA and Peabody, MA. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council; (978) 465-0492. Requests for 
special accommodations should be addressed to the New England Fishery 
Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950-
2866; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates and Agendas

    Wednesday, January 5, 2000, 10:00 a.m.--Gear Conflict

Committee Meeting

    Location: Radisson Airport Hotel, 2081 Post Road, Warwick, RI 
02886; telephone: (401) 739-3000.
    Discussion and development of recommendations on whether fishing 
vessels should be required to use a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) to 
reduce the incidence of gear conflicts between fixed and mobile gear 
fishermen; discussion of methods to implement a VMS requirement in 
fisheries that are not managed by the Council; and discussion of 
various management measures that can be used to mitigate gear 
conflicts, such as additional marking requirements.
    Thursday, January 6, 2000, 9:30 a.m.--Whiting Committee Meeting
    Location: Radisson Airport Hotel, 2081 Post Road, Warwick, RI 
02886; telephone: (401) 739-3000.
    Committee development of a scoping document for a proposed Small 
Mesh Species Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which would establish a 
separate plan for whiting, red hake, offshore hake, and possibly ocean 
pout. These species are currently managed under the Multispecies FMP. 
The scoping document may include options for limiting access and 
applying a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) to small mesh species fisheries, 
and any other issues that the committee identifies.
    Monday, January 10, 2000, 10:00 a.m. and Tuesday, January 11, 2000, 
8:30 a.m.--Scallop Oversight Committee Meeting
    Location: Radisson Airport Hotel, 2081 Post Road, Warwick, RI 
02886; telephone: (401) 739-3000.
    Committee approval of Total Allowable Catch research set-aside 
mechanism and groundfish management issues relating to Framework 
Adjustment 13 to the Scallop FMP (scallop vessel access to groundfish 
closed areas); development of recommendations concerning the extension 
of the Seastead Site research project closed area (proposed Framework 
Adjustment 14 to the FMP); and approval of Amendment 10 objectives 
(comprehensive management strategy, including rotational area 
management), schedules and a draft scoping document.
    Wednesday, January 12, 2000, 9:30 a.m.--Experimental Fisheries and 
Research Steering Committee
    Location: Sheraton Ferncroft Hotel, 50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA 
01923; telephone: (978) 777-2500.
    Development of research priorities for the New England groundfish 
fishery and other fisheries that impact the groundfish resource.
    Thursday, January 13, 2000, 9:30 a.m.--Joint Herring Committee and 
Atlantic States Fisheries Commission Herring Section Meeting
    Location: Holiday Inn by the Bay, 8 Spring Street, Portland, ME 
04101; telephone: (207) 775-2311.
    Committee and Section review and approval of a draft scoping 
document that identifies issues to be considered during the development 
of a controlled access system in the Atlantic herring fishery; 
Committee and Section consideration of the impact of the partial 
approval of the Atlantic Herring FMP and discussion of the need for 
additional management measures such as, but not limited to, spawning 
closures, effort controls, gear restrictions, or other measures for the 
fishery; Committee and Section discussion of gear use issues in the 
eastern Gulf of Maine, and possible development of additional 
management measures to address concerns raised by purse seine and mid-
water trawl vessels that fish in this area.
    Tuesday, January 18, 2000, 8:30 a.m.--Red Crab Committee Meeting
    Location: Sheraton Ferncroft, 50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA 01923; 
telephone; (978) 777-2500.
    Discussion of issues to address in the scoping process for this new 
FMP, review of the draft scoping document and review of the draft 
control date letter to NMFS. There will be a closed session at the end 
of the meeting to review applications for the Red Crab Advisory Panel.
    Friday, January 28, 2000, 9:30 a.m.--Social Sciences Advisory 
Committee Meeting
    Location: Holiday Inn, One Newbury Street (Rt. 1 North), Peabody, 
MA 01960; telephone: (978) 535-4600.
    Committee discussion of how it can implement recommendations on 
improving social and economic impact analyses in fishery management 
plans; discussion of committee involvement in the development of 
Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Scallop FMP (to establish a rotational 
area management system).
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this Council for discussion, 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 and any 
issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency 
action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the 
public has been notified of the Council's intent to take final action 
to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are accessible to people with physical 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 dates.

    Dated: December 16, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-33067 Filed 12-20-99; 8:45 am]
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