[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 42 (Monday, March 4, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9646-9647]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-5099]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 022502A]


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 2-day Council meeting on March 19 and 20, 2002, to consider actions 
affecting New England fisheries in the U.S. exclusive economic zone 
(EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 19 and 
20, 2002. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. on 
Wednesday.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Mystic Hilton Hotel, 20 
Coogan Boulevard, Mystic, CT 06355; telephone (860) 572-0731. 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, March 19, 2002

    Following introductions, the Council will consider fishing effort 
capacity reduction proposals for inclusion in draft Amendment 13 to the 
Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Council will 
consider proposals for modifying permit transfer provisions, reducing 
latent effort (unused groundfish days-at-sea) and the consolidation of 
fishing effort. Following this report, the Council will provide time on 
the agenda for public comments on any issues that are relevant to 
fisheries management and Council business. The Groundfish Committee 
will discuss progress on the development of Amendment 13. They will 
also recommend and possibly approve changes to the groundfish status 
determination criteria for inclusion in Amendment 13.

Wednesday, March 20, 2002

    The meeting will reconvene with reports on recent activities 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. A discussion of 
implementation issues concerning the U.S./ Canada Shared Resources 
Agreement is then scheduled, followed by a vote on whether to adopt the 
agreement, the contents of which were presented at the January Council 
meeting. There will be a discussion of possible future action related 
to the annual evaluation of whiting management measures. The Council 
will discuss whether it will complete a

[[Page 9647]]

Framework Adjustment to implement alternatives to the year 4 default 
measures for whiting scheduled to become effective on May 1, 2003. 
During the Monkfish Committee Report the Council will consider approval 
of goals and objectives for Amendment 2 to the Monkfish FMP for the 
purpose of providing a basis for the development of management 
measures. There also will be an update on a timetable for the amendment 
and progress to develop management alternatives. The Scallop Committee 
will provide an overview of alternatives under consideration for 
inclusion into Draft Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP.
    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 Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, provided that the public has been 
notified of the Council's intent to 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 NMFS 
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: February 26, 2002.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service
[FR Doc. 02-5099 Filed 3-1-02; 8:45 am]
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