[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 175 (Monday, September 10, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 46978-46979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22647]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 090401C]


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 3-day Council meeting on September 25 through 27, 2001, to consider 
actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone 
(EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 
September 25, 26, and 27, 2001. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on 
Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Express, 110 
Middle Street, Fairhaven, MA 02719; telephone (508) 997-1281. Requests 
for special accommodations should be addressed to the New England 
Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 
01950; telephone (978) 465-0492.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Tuesday, September 25, 2001

    After introductions, the Council will elect its 2001-2002 officers. 
The Sea Scallop Committee report to follow will be the only item on the 
agenda for the rest of the day. The Sea Scallop Committee will ask the 
Council to approve draft management measures to be included and 
analyzed in the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for 
Amendment 10 to the Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The 
discussion will include review of Sea Scallop Scallop Committee, Plan 
Development Team, and Advisory Panel recommendations. Measures to be 
considered include options that concern: Finfish bycatch during scallop 
fishing; limited access permit restrictions, including allocating 
differing days-at-sea amounts by gear sector; framework adjustments and 
annual specifications, including changing the scallop fishing year and 
increasing the days-at-sea carry-over provision; programs to fund and 
administer scallop research and on-board observers; data collection and 
monitoring; management of the general category open-access scallop 
fishery and possibly other measures.

Wednesday, September 26

    The Research Steering Committee will provide an update on its most 
recent activities. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center will then 
present a follow-up report on the stock status of Gulf of Maine cod, 
which was included as part of an advisory to the Council last month. 
The NMFS Regional Office will then review its recent efforts to revise 
the current days-at-sea management system. Following these briefings, 
there will be a report from the Council's Capacity Committee on its 
progress to develop proposals to reduce latent fishing effort, allow 
consolidation of fishing effort and modify permit transfer 
restrictions. The remainder of the day will be spent on groundfish 
issues. The Council intends to take final action on Framework 
Adjustment 36 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. Measures under the 
framework would reduce Gulf of Maine (GOM) cod fishing mortality and 
discards, extend or change the Western GOM closed area, change the area 
authorized for the northern shrimp fishery, and allow tuna purse seine 
vessels access to groundfish closed areas. The Council is considering 
the full range of measures for reducing GOM cod fishing mortality, 
including changes to recreational fishing measures.

Thursday, September 27

    Reports on recent activities will include those from the Council 
Chairman and Executive Director, the NMFS Regional Administrator, 
Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council liaisons, NOAA General Counsel and representatives of the U.S. 
Coast Guard, NMFS Enforcement and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 
Commission. The Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee will 
review its deliberations on issues and questions about the status 
determination criteria (overfishing definitions) for scallops under 
rotational area management, red crab and skates, and the Stock 
Assessment Workshop (SAW) 33 Advisory Report. The Monkfish Committee 
will review its initial discussions concerning the annual framework 
adjustment called for in the Monkfish FMP. Included will be the effect 
of the timing of the upcoming monkfish stock assessment and the impact 
of the recent court decision on the Council's actions. The Monkfish 
Committee will also review its discussions about preliminary 
recommendations for 2002 workload priorities, including a possible plan 
amendment. The Herring Committee will discuss and ask the Council to 
take final action on Framework Adjustment 1 to the Atlantic Herring 
FMP. The action would implement a January through May seasonal quota in 
herring Management Area 1A and set a 6,000 metric ton quota in the 
areas for 2002. The committee also will recommend not to support a mid-
season adjustment to the 2001 allocation for joint ventures and not to 
develop a limited entry or controlled access in 2002. The Protected 
Species Committee will report on and ask for approval of its comments 
on NMFS's draft Right Whale Recovery Plan and Biological Opinions for 
the Northeast Multispecies, Monkfish, and Dogfish FMPs. The day will 
conclude with a report on Marine Protected Areas by the Council 
Executive Director. Any other outstanding business also will be 
addressed at this time.
    Although other non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda 
may come before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be 
the subjects of formal 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

[[Page 46979]]

take final action to address the emergency.
    The New England Council will consider public comments at a minimum 
of two Council meetings before making recommendations to the National 
Marine Fisheries Service Regional Administrator on any framework 
adjustment to a fishery management plan. If the Regional Administrator 
concurs with the adjustment proposed by the Council, the Regional 
Administrator may publish the action either as proposed or final 
regulations in the Federal Register. Documents pertaining to framework 
adjustments are available for public review 7 days prior to a final 
vote by the Council.

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.

    Dated: September 5, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-22647 Filed 9-7-01; 8:45 am]
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