[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 8 (Friday, January 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1441-1442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-778]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 010802B]


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and its 
Ecosystem Management Committee, Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish Committee, 
Protected Resources Committee, and Executive Committee will hold a 
public meeting.

DATES: The meetings will be held on Monday, January 28 through 
Thursday, January 31, 2002. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
dates and times.

ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at the Radisson Suite Hotel, 350 
Rt. 3 West, Secaucus, NJ 07094, telephone 201-863-8700.
    Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 300 S. 
New Street, Dover, DE 19904, telephone: 302-674-2331.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director, 
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; telephone: 302-674-2331, ext. 
19.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Monday, January 28, 2002, from 1 p.m. to 4 
p.m.--the Ecosystem Planning Committee will meet.
    Tuesday, January 29, 2002, from 8 a.m. until noon the Ecosystem 
Planning Committee will continue its meeting.
    Tuesday, January 29, 2002, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.--the Squid, 
Mackerel, Butterfish Committee will meet.
    Tuesday, January 29, 2002, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.--the Protected 
Resources Committee will meet.
    Wednesday, January 30, 2002, from 9 a.m. to 10. a.m.--the Executive 
Committee will meet.
    Wednesday, January 30, 2002--the Council will convene at 10 a.m. 
and adjourn at 5 p.m.
    Thursday, January 31, 2002, 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.--Council will meet.
    Agenda items for the committees and Council meeting(s), as 
appropriate, are: Discussion of alternative recreational and commercial 
management approaches for MAFMC species; review scoping comments for 
Amendment 9 to the Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish FMP, review Amendment 9 
issues paper, finalize management measures for Amendment 9 public 
hearing draft, and develop timeline for Amendment 9 completion; review 
update to recent bottlenose dolphin take reduction team's report; 
receive and discuss the advisory report on the status of monkfish, 
Georges Bank winter flounder, and Loligo squid developed at the 34th 
Stock Assessment Workshop; discuss approval of Framework Adjustment1 to 
the Monkfish FMP (options include: 1) no action and allowing the FMP 
Year 4 default measures to take effect eliminating the directed 
fishery, 2) the preferred alternative of postponing the Year 4 default 
measures for one year and adjusting trip limits and days at sea 
allocations to achieve fishing year 2000 landing levels after 
accounting for the court-ordered adjustment to the gillnet trip limits, 
3) adjusting management measures to reduce catches to the Years 2 and 3 
total allowable catch targets); convene public scoping meeting for 
Amendment 2 to the Monkfish FMP; receive and discuss organizational and 
committee reports including the New England Council's report regarding

[[Page 1442]]

possible actions on herring, groundfish, monkfish, red crab, scallops, 
skates, and whiting.
    On Wednesday, January 30, there will be a scoping meeting for 
Amendment 2 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The New 
England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils propose to amend 
the Monkfish FMP. The amendment process will serve two purposes: it 
will enable the Councils to modify the FMP rules as needed and to 
update the analysis of the cumulative impact of the FMP on the human 
environment. In the process, the Councils will prepare a Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) as described in the National 
Environmental Policy Act for the amendment. This notice is to inform 
you that the Councils will gather information for the preparation of 
the SEIS and to ask for your input on the range of issues to be 
addressed and alternatives to be considered. The Councils are taking 
this action for the following reasons: (1) to address updated 
scientific information on the status of the stocks, (2) to address 
problems with the implementation and enforcement of the current 
management program, (3) to evaluate the impact of the rebuilding 
program on the human environment, (4) to consider proposals for 
providing controlled access to the monkfish resource south of the North 
Carolina/Virginia border to vessels from that area that are currently 
excluded, and (5) to comply with a federal Court Order to update the 
Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) elements of the FMP. You may comment at 
any of the public Council or committee meetings where Amendment 2 is on 
the agenda, or you may submit written comments by February 11, 2002 to:
    Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management 
Council, 50 Water Street, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: 978-465-
0492, fax: 978-465-3116.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before the Council for discussion, these 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 actions 
to address such emergencies.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Joanna Davis at the Mid-Atlantic Council (see 
ADDRESSES) least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: January 8, 2002.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-778 Filed 1-10-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S