[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 72 (Monday, April 15, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18174-18175]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-9084]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 040902E]


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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

SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and its 
Monkfish Committee, its Black Sea Bass Industry Advisory Panel, its 
Demersal Species Committee meeting as a Council Committee of the Whole 
with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (ASMFC) Summer 
Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board, and its Squid, Mackerel, 
Butterfish Committee will hold a public meeting.

DATES: The meetings will be held on Monday, April 29, 2002 through 
Thursday, May 2, 2002. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates 
and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Omni Newport News Hotel, 
1000 Omni Boulevard, Newport News, VA; telephone: 757-873-6664.
    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, April 29, 2002

    The Joint Monkfish Committee will meet from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Tuesday, April 30, 2002

    The Joint Monkfish Committee will meet again from 8 a.m. until 
noon.
    The Black Sea Bass Industry Advisory Panel will meet concurrently 
from 8 a.m. until noon.
    The Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish Committee will meet from 1 p.m. to 
4 p.m.
    The Council convenes from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., to approve Amendment 
13 to the Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for 
public hearing.

Wednesday, May 1, 2002

    The Council will meet jointly with the Atlantic States Marine 
Fisheries Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board 
from 8:00 a.m. until noon, and again from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Thursday, May 2, 2002

    The Council will meet from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
    Agenda items for the committees and Council meetings are:
    The Joint Monkfish Committee will develop recommendations for 
management alternatives to be analyzed in Amendment 2 Draft 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement to the Monkfish Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP). The Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel will review 
public comments on public hearing document for Amendment 13 to the 
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP and develop advice and 
recommendations for: (1) alternative management measure(s) to govern 
the commercial sector of the black sea bass fishery; (2) permit 
requirements for fishermen; (3) prohibition of wet storage of black sea 
bass pots/traps during closures, limitation on number of pots/traps and 
associated tag program; and, (4) EFH gear impact alternatives for 
summer flounder, scup, black sea bass FMP to remedy disapproved EFH 
section in Amendment 12. The Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish Committee 
will review the Monitoring Committee's recommendations for 2003 quotas 
and management measures for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish; 
address possible in-season adjustment for 2002 specifications; and, 
review Amendment 9 issues (April 2, 2002 letter from the Regional 
Administrator) including: develop EFH designations for Loligo and Illex 
eggs, assess gear impacts on EFH, examine bycatch reduction options and 
measures, consider NAFO transit

[[Page 18175]]

provisions, and review timeline for amendment completion; consider 
development of Framework 3 for the sole purpose of extending the Illex 
moratorium in the event Amendment 9 is not implemented by July 1, 2002; 
and, in the event that the Final Rule for Framework 2 is not published 
by July 1, 2002, consider establishment of July 1, 2002 as a control 
date. The Council will resurrect tabled motions from its prior meeting 
and approve adoption of public hearing document for Amendment 13 to the 
Surfclam and Ocean Quahog FMP. Jointly with the ASMFC, the Council will 
review and discuss public hearing comments for Amendment 13 to the 
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP; develop and decide final 
measures to be included in Amendment 13; and, adopt Amendment 13 for 
Secretarial submission. The Council will receive and hear a Law 
Enforcement presentation on Vessel Monitoring System (VMS). The Council 
will review the Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish Committee's 
recommendations for 2003 quotas and management measures for Atlantic 
mackerel, squid and butterfish; review recommendation for possible in-
season adjustment for 2002 specifications; develop and recommend 2003 
squid, mackerel, and butterfish quota specifications and management 
measures; and, address various options regarding Framework 2, Amendment 
9 and Framework 3. Receive and discuss organizational and committee 
reports including the New England Council's report regarding possible 
actions on herring, groundfish, monkfish, red crab, scallops, skates, 
and whiting.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before the Council and ASMFC for discussion, these issues can 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 action to address the emergency.

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 Council (see ADDRESSES) at 
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: April 9, 2002.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-9084 Filed 4-12-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S