[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 246 (Friday, December 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 65936]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-31545]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 121801A]


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 Enforcement Committee and Advisory 
Panel, Red Crab Advisory Panel and Oversight Committee and Monkfish 
Oversight Committee in January, 2002 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 January 8, 2002 and January 
14, 2002. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held in Newburyport, MA Mansfield, MA 
and Portsmouth, NH. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
locations.
    Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates and Agendas

    Tuesday, January 8, 2002 at 9:30 a.m.--Enforcement Committee and 
Advisory Panel Meeting.
    Location: New England Fishery Management Council Office, 50 Water 
Street, Mill #2, Newburyport, MA 01950; (978) 465-0492.
    The Committee will review enforcement policies and they will 
discuss policies as they pertain to Scallop Amendment 10 and Monkfish 
annual adjustments.
    Tuesday, January 8, 2002 at 9:30 a.m.--Red Crab Advisory Panel 
Meeting.
    Location: Rossi's Restaurant, 50 Water Street, Mill #2, 
Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: (978) 465-0492.
    The Advisory Panel will meet to discuss the Council's draft Red 
Crab Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and proposed management measures. 
The Advisors will develop recommendations on the final management 
measures for consideration by the Council's Red Crab Committee. Issues 
to be discussed include: qualification criteria for a controlled access 
program for the directed red crab fishery; a potential days-at-sea 
program for the directed fishery; a potential trip limit for the 
directed fishery; the establishment of the fishing year for management 
purposes; and other potential management measures to be implemented in 
the FMP.
    Wednesday, January 9, 2002 at 9:30 a.m.--Red Crab Oversight 
Committee Meeting.
    Location: Holiday Inn, 31 Hampshire Street, Mansfield, MA 02048; 
telephone: (508) 339-2200.
    The Oversight Committee will meet to discuss the Council's draft 
Red Crab FMP and draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and the 
proposed management measures. The Committee will consider comments 
received by the Council at public hearings on the draft EIS and during 
the review period. The Committee will develop recommendations on the 
final management measures for consideration by the Council. Issues to 
be discussed include: a controlled access program for the directed red 
crab fishery; a potential days-at-sea program for the directed fishery; 
a potential trip limit for the directed fishery; the establishment of 
the fishing year for management purposes; and other potential 
management measures to be implemented in the FMP.
    Monday, January 14, 2002 at 10:00 a.m.--Monkfish Oversight 
Committee Meeting.
    Location: Courtyard by Marriott, 1000 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 
03801; telephone: (603) 436-2121.
    The Committee will review the analysis of options under 
consideration in Framework 1 to the Monkfish FMP, and make a 
recommendation to the Council for measures to be submitted to NMFS for 
the fishing year starting May 1, 2002. Framework 1 contains 
alternatives to the default measures for Year 4 of the rebuilding 
program contained in the FMP. Those default measures would eliminate 
the directed monkfish fishery. The Council is considering various 
alternative measures based on trip limit and Days-at-Sea (DAS) 
adjustments to either achieve the same landings as in Year 2 (fishing 
year 2000-01), the preferred alternative, or achieve the Year 2 and 3 
total allowable catch targets (TACs), the non-preferred alternative. 
Time permitting, the Committee will take public scoping comments on 
Amendment 2 to the Monkfish FMP.
    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: December 18, 2001.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-31545 Filed 12-20-01; 8:45 am]
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