[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 8 (Monday, January 13, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 1587-1588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-635]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 010703A]


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Public meeting.

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[[Page 1588]]

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold 
a 3-day Council meeting on January 28, 29, and 30, 2003, to consider 
actions affecting New England fisheries in the U.S. exclusive economic 
zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 
January 28, 29, and 30, 2003. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on 
Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Marriott Courtyard, 1000 
Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801; telephone (603) 436-2121. Requests 
for special accommodations should be addressed to the 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:

Tuesday, January 28, 2003

    Following introductions, there will be a public review workshop 
held to discuss the results of the 36th Northeast Regional Stock 
Assessment Workshop (SAW). Species to be reviewed include yellowtail 
flounder, winter flounder, northern shrimp, and striped bass. At the 
conclusion of the SAW presentation, the Transboundary Management 
Guidance Committee will brief the Council on its December 17-18, 2002, 
meeting on the U.S./Canada Resource Sharing Agreement discussions. The 
Groundfish Committee will report following a lunch break. Items to be 
covered include review of the time line for development of Amendment 13 
to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP), including 
a discussion of analytic and peer review requirements necessary to 
complete the amendment; implications of considering different 
rebuilding periods, alternatives that should be analyzed under 
different rebuilding time periods, and possible elimination of 
alternatives from further consideration; development of a 
recommendation to NOAA Fisheries for implementation of a DAS leasing 
program to be implemented prior to the adoption of Amendment 13 and 
preliminary discussion of measures to implement the U.S./Canada 
Resource Sharing Agreement. The Council also has scheduled a scoping 
meeting for Amendment 2 to the Spiny Dogfish FMP on Tuesday January 28 
at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, January 29, 2003

    The Scallop Committee will review and seek approval of the Draft 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for Amendment 10 to 
the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP. Issues to be considered include: an area 
rotation system and access to the Georges Bank groundfish closed areas; 
measures to minimize habitat and bycatch impacts; changes to the 
framework adjustment process, as well as day-at-sea adjustments and 
other changes to the plan as required. Interim measures to access the 
Georges Bank areas and closed areas elsewhere in 2004 also will be 
included. Following approval of this document, the Council will 
schedule a series of public hearings to seek public comments on the 
draft Amendment 10 alternatives and the associated SEIS.

Thursday, January 30, 2003

    The meeting will reconvene with reports on recent activities from 
the Council Chairman and Executive Director, the NMFS Regional 
Administrator, Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council liaisons, NOAA General Counsel and 
representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, NMFS Enforcement and the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. This will be followed by a 
brief public comment period during which any member of the public may 
bring forward items relevant to Council business but not otherwise 
listed on the agenda for this meeting. The NOAA Fisheries Regional 
Administrator will then conduct a formal consultation with the Council 
on the American Lobster FMP, providing members with an opportunity to 
comment on regulations, both proposed and future, developed by the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The Whiting Committee will 
ask for approval of final action on Framework Adjustment 38 to the 
Northeast Multispecies FMP (whiting, red hake, and offshore hake). 
Measures include the establishment of an exempted grate raised footrope 
trawl fishery in the inshore Gulf of Maine, with specifications for a 
season, fishing area, mesh size, gear restrictions, whiting possession 
limits, and other incidental catch limits. The Council also will 
consider a new control date to determine future participation in the 
small mesh multispecies fishery. Before adjourning for the day, the 
Council is expected to approve final Northeast Skate Complex FMP 
submission documents, including a description of management measures, 
draft regulations, and a summary of impacts. The FMP includes permit 
and reporting requirements; prohibitions on the possession of barndoor 
skate, thorny skate, and smooth skate in the Gulf of Maine and a 
possession limit for the skate wing fishery.
    Although other non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda 
may come before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be 
the subjects of formal 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 Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, provided that 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 Paul J. Howard (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days 
prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: January 7, 2003.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-635 Filed 1-10-03; 8:45 am]
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