[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 12, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11098-11099]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-5915]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 030602H]


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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is 
scheduling a public meeting of its Research Steering Committee, 
Monkfish Advisory Panel and Groundfish Oversight Committee in March, 
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 March 25 and 27, 2002. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held in Wakefield and Peabody, MA. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific locations.
    Council address: 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:

Meeting Dates and Agendas

    Monday, March 25, 2002 at 9:30 a.m. and Tuesday, March 26, 2002 at 
8:30 a.m.-Research Steering Committee Meeting.
    Location: Sheraton Colonial, One Audubon Road, Wakefield, MA 01880; 
telephone: (781) 245-9300.
    The committee will coordinate previously funded projects, potential 
future projects and other funding initiatives to ensure that the 
Council's research priorities are met. This effort will include 
prioritizing the current initiatives previously identified as high 
priority cooperative research programs industry-based surveys/study 
fleets, cod tagging and conservation engineering. They will also review 
and potentially revise the existing research priorities previously 
established by the Research Steering Committee and approved by the 
Council for use in future Requests for Proposals (RFPs). They will also 
develop a mechanism for project tracking, evaluation and incorporation 
of information into the management process. Also on the agenda is to 
review the ongoing initiatives to establish pilot programs for study 
fleets/industry-based surveys.
    Tuesday, March 26, 2002 at 9:00 a.m.-Monkfish Advisory Panel 
Meeting.
    Location: Holiday Inn, One Newbury Street, Peabody, MA 01960; 
telephone: (978) 535-4600.
    The Panel will review Amendment 2 goals and objectives adopted by 
the Councils, as well as management strategies being developed by the 
Oversight Committee. The Panel will advise the Committee on issues and 
alternatives pertaining to Amendment 2, including, but not limited to: 
how different fishery sectors have been affected by the current 
management plan; options for modifying how days-at-sea (DAS) are 
counted, particularly first or partial days of a trip; identifying 
times and areas of monkfish spawning that could be utilized as part of 
a management program; incidental catch limits for vessels not fishing 
on a monkfish DAS; and other specific matters identified by the 
Committee. The Panel will also develop its own recommendations to the 
Committee for management strategies to be considered in Amendment 2.
    Wednesday, March 27, 2002 at 9:30 a.m.-Groundfish Oversight 
Committee Meeting.
    Location: Holiday Inn, One Newbury Street, Peabody, MA 01960; 
telephone: (978) 535-4600.
    The Groundfish Committee will continue development of Amendment 13 
to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). At a 
meeting on February 27, 2002, the New England Council decided to 
develop groundfish management measures for five broad areas and one 
user group: inshore Gulf of Maine, offshore Gulf of Maine, eastern 
Georges Bank, western Georges Bank, Southern New England/Mid Atlantic, 
and recreational/charter/party. They will define the boundaries of the 
areas and develop specific objectives for each group (including 
specific objectives for the recreational/party/charter group). In 
addition, the committee will identify metrics that can be used to 
guarantee that objectives are met in each area/user group and will

[[Page 11099]]

identify any other issues that must be considered as measures are 
developed for an area. They will also discuss revised targets for 
biomass and fishing mortality for groundfish stocks based on a report 
that will be presented to the Council on March 19, 2002. Finally, the 
Committee may consider the report of the Capacity Committee, which will 
also be delivered to the Council on March 19, 2002. A schedule will 
also be developed for future committee work.
    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: March 7, 2002.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-5915 Filed 3-11-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S