[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 9, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17054-17055]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8556]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 040402B]


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 Recreational Advisory Panel, 
Monkfish Oversight and Groundfish Oversight Committees in April 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 April 26, 2002, and April 30, 
2002. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held in Peabody, MA and Newport News, 
VA. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council, 978-465-0492. Requests for 
special accommodations should be addressed to the New England Fishery 
Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates, Times, Locations, and Agendas

    Friday, April 26, 2002, at 9:30 a.m.--Recreational Advisory Panel 
Meeting
    Location: Holiday Inn, One Newbury Street, Route 1, Peabody, MA 
01960; telephone: 978-535-4600.
    This will be the first meeting of the Recreational Fishing Advisory 
Panel. After selecting a chair, panel members will review the role of 
Council advisors. They will then develop recommendations for the 
Council with respect to the general strategy and overall policy issues 
facing recreational (including party/charter) fishermen in fisheries 
managed by the New England Fishery Management Council. The Panel will 
also discuss the ongoing development of Amendment 13 to the Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and may develop preliminary 
recommendations for recreational management measures. They will 
consider these suggested measures and will develop a recommendation 
that will be reviewed by the Council at a later date. After Council 
approval, the measures will be analyzed and included in a Draft 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.
    Monday, April 29, 2002, at 10 a.m. and Tuesday, April 30, 2002, at 
8:30 a.m.--Monkfish Oversight Committee Meeting.
    Location: Omni Newport News Hotel, 1000 Omni Boulevard, Newport 
News, VA 23606; telephone: 757-873-6664.
    The Committee will continue to develop its recommendations to the 
New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils for management alternatives to be 
analyzed in the Amendment 2 Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement. Alternatives designed to achieve the approved goals and 
objectives include, but are not limited to: permit qualification 
criteria for vessels fishing south of 38N; management program for a 
deepwater directed fishery in the southern fisheries

[[Page 17055]]

management area; separation of monkfish days-at-sea (DAS) from 
multispecies and sea scallop DAS programs, including counting of 
monkfish DAS as 24-hour days; measures to minimize impacts of the 
fishery on endangered sea turtles; measures to minimize bycatch in 
directed in non-directed fisheries including mesh size and other gear 
requirements; an exemption program for vessels fishing for monkfish 
outside of the EEZ (in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization 
Regulated Area); alternative areas for essential fish habitat (EFH) 
designation and measures to minimize impacts of the fishery on EFH; 
measures to improve data collection and research on monkfish, including 
mechanisms for funding cooperative research programs.
    Tuesday, April 30, 2002, at 9:30 a.m.--Groundfish Oversight 
Committee Meeting
    Location: Holiday Inn, One Newbury Street, Route 1, Peabody, MA 
01960; telephone: 978-535-4600.
    The Committee will continue development of Amendment 13 to the 
Northeast Multispecies FMP. Amendment 13 will end overfishing and 
establish rebuilding schedules for overfished stocks. 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. This meeting will focus on recreational 
(including party/charter) fishing for groundfish in the Northeast 
Region of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Interested parties 
will be consulted to identify management measures that will achieve 
specific biological, economic, and social objectives identified by the 
Council. Such measures may include, but are not limited to, trip or bag 
limits, changes to the minimum sizes, year-round or seasonal closed 
areas, or gear changes. The Committee will consider these suggested 
measures and will develop a recommendation that will be reviewed by the 
Council at a later date. After Council approval, the measures will be 
analyzed and included in a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement.
    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 Fishery Conservation and 
Management 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 orother 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Paul J. Howard (see ADDRESSES) at 
least 5 days prior to the meeting dates.

    Dated: April 4, 2002.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-8556 Filed 4-8-02; 8:45 am]
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