[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 19, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7965-7966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3990]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 020703D]


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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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold 
a 3-day Council meeting on March 4, 5, and 6, 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 
March 4, 5, and 6, 2003. The meeting will begin at 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday 
and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Providence Biltmore Hotel, 
11 Dorrance Street, Kennedy Plaza, Providence, RI 02903; telephone 401/
412-0700. 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, March 4, 2003
    Following introductions, the Council will address a number of 
groundfish fishery-related issues during this first afternoon session. 
There will be a briefing on the February 3-5, 2003 Groundfish Peer 
Review meeting, and a discussion about incorporation of those meeting 
results, including advice on biological reference points, into the 
Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) Amendment 13 Draft 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS).
Wednesday, March 5, 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. The Groundfish Committee 
will report on and ask the Council to identify management alternatives 
for further development and inclusion in the Amendment 13 DSEIS. Their 
discussion also will relate to measures that would implement the U.S./
Canada Resource Sharing Agreement, groundfish stock rebuilding time 
periods and modifications to alternatives as necessary to meet any 
revised fishing mortality targets. The Groundfish Committee report will 
continue until the end of the day.
Thursday, March 6, 2003
    The third day of the meeting will begin with a presentation by NMFS 
staff on the agency's new coastwide initiative to collect recreational 
fishing data. The report will include details about the methodology 
that will be employed to collect catch and effort data from the for-
hire recreational fleet. The presentation 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 Habitat Committee will report on 
recommendations developed at the recent Groundfish, Scallop and 
Monkfish Joint Advisors meeting on habitat alternatives for Council 
consideration in Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP and in 
Amendment 13 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. The Habitat Committee 
also will identify a preferred alternative for Scallop Amendment 10. 
Finally, the Council will review the habitat section, with all 
alternatives and analyses, of the Northeast Multispecies Amendment 13 
DSEIS, select a preferred alternative and conduct a final vote to 
approve this element of the DSEIS. The Council meeting will adjourn 
following the conclusion of any other outstanding business. 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

[[Page 7966]]

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: February 11, 2003.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-3990 Filed 2-18-03; 8:45 am]
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