[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 179 (Monday, September 16, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58355-58356]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23501]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 091002B]


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.

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SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and its 
Executive Committee, Ecosystems Planning Committee, and Law Enforcement 
Committee (with Advisor) will hold a public meeting. There will also be 
a meeting of the Joint Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and New 
England Fishery Management Council Spiny Dogfish Committee.

DATES: The meetings will be held on Monday, September 30, 2002 through 
Thursday, October 3, 2002. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Holiday Inn Select, 630 
Naamans Road, Claymont, DE, telephone: 302-792-2700.
    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: On Tuesday, October 1, the Executive 
Committee will meet from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. New Member Orientation will 
be held from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Wednesday, October 2, the Council 
will convene at 8 a.m. with the swearing-in of new Council members and 
the election of officers (chairman and vice

[[Page 58356]]

chairman). Spiny dogfish actions regarding Amendment 1 and management 
measures for the 2003/04 fishing year will be discussed from 8:30 a.m. 
to 11:30 a.m. Monkfish issues and input regarding proposed changes to 
the current permit moratorium will be discussed from 11:30 a.m. until 
noon. The Ecosystems Planning Committee will meet from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. 
The Enforcement Committee with its Advisors will meet from 3 p.m. to 5 
p.m. On Thursday, October 3, the Council will meet from 8 a.m. until 4 
p.m. to conduct its routine business.
    Agenda items for the Council's committees and the Council itself 
are: the Executive Committee will review/approve previously addressed 
Statement of Operating Practices and Procedures (SOPPs), review draft 
2003 annual work plan, and review 2003 grant application if available; 
the Council will review and discuss the Joint Spiny Dogfish Committee's 
actions regarding Amendment 1 to the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP), review and discuss the Joint Spiny Dogfish Committee's 
recommendations on dogfish management measures for the 2003/04 fishing 
year, and adopt management measures for the 2003/04 fishing year; the 
Council will review monkfish comments received during the supplemental 
scoping hearings and discuss potential impacts of proposed changes to 
permit moratorium for monkfish; the Ecosystems Planning Committee will 
discuss the feasibility of developing and adopting a universal 
saltwater fishing license; and, discuss and determine research set-
aside priorities for 2004; the Enforcement Committee with Advisors will 
discuss and evaluate the enforceability of at-sea transfer of catch 
should such a measure be adopted, and review post September 11 
enforcement actions and their impacts on marine resources regulations; 
there will be a presentation on the historical fisheries of the 
Delaware River and Bay by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the 
Council will discuss during meeting one of Framework 3 to the Squid, 
Mackerel, Butterfish FMP extending the Illex limited access moratorium 
for two years; the Council will also 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; and, act on any continuing and/or new 
business. Under Continuing and New Business, the council will review 
and recommend the research set-aside quota level for the 2003 tilefish 
fishery.
    In conjunction with but separate from this Council meeting, there 
will be a Joint Dogfish Committee meeting on Monday, September 30 from 
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., to review updated fisheries and stock assessment 
information, develop 2003/04 management measures, and discuss Amendment 
1 to the Spiny Dogfish FMP. Likewise, there will be two public hearings 
in conjunction with but separate from this Council meeting. On Tuesday 
evening, October 1, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. the New England Fishery 
Management Council will conduct a public hearing on its Skate FMP. This 
public hearing will be held to solicit comments on the Draft Skate FMP 
and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Draft Skate FMP 
proposes several alternatives to address the management of the seven 
species of skates in the Northeast Region skate complex. Written 
comments will be accepted until October 15, 2002. Please forward 
comments to Paul Howard, Executive Director, New England Fishery 
Management Council, 50 Water Street, The Tannery - Mill 2, Newburyport, 
MA 01950.
    On Wednesday evening, October 2 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council will conduct a public hearing on 
Amendment 13 to its Surfclam and Ocean Quahog FMP. Amendment 13 
addresses five major issues: (1) A new surfclam overfishing definition, 
(2) fishing gear impacts to essential fish habitat (EFH), (3) multi-
year quotas, (4) suspension of the surfclam minimum size limit, and (5) 
a vessel monitoring type system. The intended effect of this action is 
to alert interested public of the commencement of this hearing process 
to provide for public participation. Written comments will be accepted 
until October 15, 2002. Please forward comments to Daniel T. Furlong, 
Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 300 S. New 
Street, Room 2115, Dover, DE 19904.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before the Council for discussion, these issues may 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 actions 
to address such emergencies.

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 least 5 days prior to the meeting 
date.

    Dated: September 11, 2002
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service
[FR Doc. 02-23501 Filed 9-13-02; 8:45 am]
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