[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 10, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18613-18614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8812]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 040301B]


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 public meeting of its Scallop Advisory Panel and Scallop 
Plan Development Team (PDT) and Skate Oversight Committee in April 2001 
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 on April 26 and 27, 2001. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Comfort Inn Airport, 1940 
Post Road, Warwick, RI 02886; telephone: (401) 732-0470.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council; (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates and Agendas

    Thursday, April 26, 2001, 9:30 a.m.--Skate Oversight Committee 
Meeting
    The committee will finalize Skate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) 
Goals and Objectives. The agenda will include continued development of 
draft Skate FMP alternatives for public hearings; alternatives may 
include specifications for a skate permit and catch reporting system, 
prohibitions on the possession of certain skate species, management 
measures for the bait and/or wing fishery, limited access provisions, 
possession limits, minimum size restrictions, and/or any other 
appropriate measures. The committee will possibly consider a control 
date for skate fishing.
    Thursday, April 26, 2001, 10:00 a.m. and Friday, April 27, 2001, 
8:30 a.m.--Joint Scallop Advisory Panel and PDT Meeting
    The Scallop Industry Advisory Panel will meet jointly with the 
Scallop PDT to develop management alternatives for

[[Page 18614]]

Amendment 10. These alternatives will include strategies for area 
rotation; new or revised gear restrictions; changes to the fishing year 
and the framework adjustment process; changes in permits and 
restrictions for limited access, history, and/or general permit 
categories; measures to reduce habitat impacts and/or bycatch; 
transferability of effort units; industry-funded research and observer 
programs; experimental fishing permit procedures; and other options as 
needed. The Council's goals for Amendment 10 are to substantially 
revise the FMP to improve the management of the resource and increase 
optimum yield, to update the analysis of cumulative impacts of the FMP 
on the human environment, and to re-evaluate the Essential Fish Habitat 
(EFH) components of the FMP and minimize adverse effects on EFH. These 
alternatives will be submitted to the Council in July for approval to 
hold public hearings and gather comments on the draft amendment.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. 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 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 dates.

    Dated: April 5, 2001.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-8812 Filed 4-9-01; 8:45 am]
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