[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 15 (Thursday, January 23, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3230-3231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-1465]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 011603B]


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 two public meetings of its (1) Monkfish Oversight Committee 
and (2) representatives of its Groundfish, Monkfish, Habitat, Sea 
Scallop, Skate, Whiting and Herring Advisory Panels in February, 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 February 6-13, 2003. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held in Taunton, MA and South Portland, 
ME. 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

    Thursday, February 6, 2003, at 9:30 a.m and Friday, February 7, 
2003, at 8:30 a.m. Joint Advisory Panels Representatives Meeting.
    Location: Holiday Inn Taunton, 700 Myles Standish Boulevard, 
Taunton, MA 02780; (508) 823-0430.

[[Page 3231]]

    There will be a joint meeting of representatives from the Council's 
Groundfish, Monkfish, Habitat, Sea Scallop, Skate, Whiting and Herring 
Advisory Panels to comment on and develop alternatives to Essential 
Fish Habitat (EFH) area management currently proposed for the Scallop 
Amendment 10 Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.
    Wednesday, February 12, 2003, at 10 a.m and Thursday, February 13, 
2003 at 8:30 a.m. Monkfish Oversight Committee Meeting.
    Location: Sheraton South Portland Hotel, 363 Maine Mall Road, South 
Portland, ME 04106; telephone: (207) 775-6161.
    The Committee will discuss issues and options to be included in the 
Monkfish Amendment 2 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS). 
Alternatives designed to achieve the approved goals and objectives 
include, but are not limited to: Permit qualification criteria for 
vessels fishing south of 38[deg]N; management program for a deepwater 
directed fishery in the SFMA; 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 and non-directed fisheries; an exemption program for vessels 
fishing for monkfish outside of the EEZ (in the NAFO Regulated Area); 
alternative 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; and, timing of 
the annual review and adjustment process. The Committee may develop and 
recommend other management alternatives not included in the list above.
    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 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: January 16, 2003.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-1465 Filed 1-22-03; 8:45 am]
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