[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 6, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10119-10120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-5428]


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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: On March 4, 2002, NMFS published a notification announcing 
that 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). This document republishes the March 4th document in its entirety 
and supplements the notification by providing additional information 
concerning a presentation by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center 
concerning the Northeast multispecies groundfish reference points. In 
addition, this document provides additional information concerning 
Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan.

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: On March 4, 2002, NMFS published a 
notification in the Federal Register (67 FR 9646) of the Council's 2-
day meeting scheduled for March 19 and 20, 2002, to consider actions 
affecting New England fisheries in the EEZ. This action republishes the 
March 4, 2002, notification in its entirety and provides additional 
information concerning the Northeast multispecies groundfish reference 
points and Amendment 10 to the

[[Page 10120]]

Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

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. The NMFS 
Northeast Fisheries Science Center will present results of the most 
recent analyses of reference points for groundfish stocks in the 
multispecies fishery. The Council may consider appropriate changes in 
reference points for use in upcoming groundfish rulemakings.

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 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 consider, 
and possibly approve, additional management alternatives relating to 
minimizing bycatch and adverse impacts on habitat for inclusion in 
Draft Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP and the Draft 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement being prepared for the 
amendment. The committee also will provide an overview of all 
alternatives under consideration for inclusion in the Amendment. In 
addition, the Council will address any unresolved issues relating to 
Amendment 10 development.
    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: March 1, 2002.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-5428 Filed 3-4-02; 11:47 am]
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