[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 250 (Monday, December 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 79570]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-32951]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 122302C]


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, 
Groundfish Oversight Committee and Social Science Advisory Committee in 
January, 2003 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 January 14-24, 2003. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held in Wakefield, Mansfield, and 
Weston, MA. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific locations.
    Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates and Agendas

    Tuesday, January 14, 2003, 9:30 a.m. Research Steering Committee 
Meeting.
    Location: Sheraton Colonial, One Audubon Road, Wakefield, MA 01880; 
telephone: (781) 245-9300.
    The committee will receive an update on the status of current 
projects, recent contract awards and funding for the NOAA Fisheries 
Cooperative Research Partners Initiative, including progress on the 
development of a Request for Proposals concerning fisheries habitat 
research. They will discuss the development of procedures for tracking 
cooperative research projects, evaluation of final reports, and 
particularly the integration of results into the management process. 
There will be discussion of the status of the experimental fishing 
permit program, if time allows.
    Wednesday, January 22, 2003, 9:30 a.m. Groundfish Oversight 
Committee Meeting.
    Location: Holiday Inn, 31 Hampshire Street, Mansfield, MA 02048; 
telephone: (508) 339-2200.
    The Groundfish Oversight Committee will meet to consider a number 
of issues related to the development of Amendment 13 to the Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). They will review timelines 
for continued development of the amendment and will plan the actions 
that must be taken in order to meet a May 1, 2004 implementation date. 
This review will include a discussion of the analysis of different 
rebuilding time periods and the alternatives that will be considered 
under each alternative. This discussion may include development of 
recommendations to the Council to eliminate management alternatives 
from further consideration. The Committee will also work on additional 
details for the total allowable catch alternatives and the 
implementation of a resource sharing understanding with Canada for 
transboundary stocks of cod, haddock, and yellowtail. The Committee 
will review information on bycatch of groundfish in a proposed whiting 
grate fishery and will develop a recommendation to the Council for 
Framework 38, the action that will implement that fishery. Finally, the 
Committee may develop suggestions for a days at sea (DAS) leasing 
program that the Council may ask the NMFS to implement in advance of 
the adoption of Amendment 13.
    Friday, January 24, 2003, 10 a.m. Social Science Advisory Committee 
Meeting.
    Location: Weston Public Library, 87 School Street, Weston, MA 
02493; telephone: (781) 893-3312.
    The committee will meet to discuss how to assist the Council in the 
development of amendments to the Monkfish and Groundfish FMPs. They 
will also discuss and possibly develop comments on the Scallop Draft 
Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement; elect a Chair, Vice Chair 
and discuss organizational issues.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in these agendas may 
come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the 
subject of formal action during these meetings. 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: December 24, 2002.
John H. Dunnigan,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 02-32951 Filed 12-27-02; 9:30 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S