[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 56 (Monday, March 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14200-14201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6959]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 031903A]


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 a public meeting of its Joint Enforcement Oversight 
Committee and Advisory Panel and its Groundfish Oversight Committee in 
April, 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 on April 7 and 8, 2003. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held in Newburyport and Wakefield, 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; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates and Agendas

    Monday, April 7, 2003 at 9:30 a.m. - Joint Enforcement Committee 
and Advisory Panel Meeting.
    Location: New England Fishery Management Council Office, 50 Water 
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: (978) 465-
0492.
    The committee and advisory panel will discuss and review the 
Monkfish enforcement analysis. They will also discuss and review the 
Habitat enforcement analyses for Amendment 10 to the Scallop Fishery 
Management Plans (FMP) and Groundfish Amendment 13 FMP. They also plan 
to discuss and recommend Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) requirements in 
the U.S./Canada agreement area. The U.S.Coast Guard is concerned if 
there are (1) vessels required to have VMS, and (2) vessels in the area 
that just sign-in for a fixed period, at the same time. Given time they 
will review other business.

[[Page 14201]]

    Tuesday, April 8, 2003 at 9:30 a.m. - Groundfish Oversight 
Committee Meeting.
    Location: Sheraton Colonial, One Audubon Road, Wakefield, MA 01880; 
telephone: (781) 245-9300.
    The committee will meet to continue development of Amendment 13 to 
the Northeast Multispecies (FMP). They will provide additional advice 
and guidance in order to clarify the management measures that have been 
identified for the Amendment. They will also refine the measures for 
administering a hard Total Allowable Catch (TAC), will consider and act 
on advice from the NMFS on improvements to other measures, and will 
develop recommendations to improve the administration of an alternative 
to use fishing years 1996 through 2001 as the baseline period for 
establishing effective days-at-sea for limited access permits. The 
Committee will receive a report on measures to implement a U.S./Canada 
resource sharing understanding and may develop additional 
recommendations for the Council's consideration. Also on the agenda is 
the review analysis of rebuilding periods and reference points provided 
by the Plan Development Team.
    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: March 19, 2003.
Matteo J. Milazzo,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-6959 Filed 3-21-03; 8:45 am]
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