[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 160 (Tuesday, August 19, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 49758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-21206]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 081103D]


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Public hearings; request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold 
a series of public hearings to solicit comments on proposals to be 
included in Amendment 13 of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP).

DATES: Written comments on the proposals will be accepted through 
October 15, 2003. The public hearings will begin September 9, 2003 and 
end on September 30, 2003. See Public Hearings for specific hearing 
dates.

ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the public hearing document or to submit 
comments, contact Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, New England 
Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 
01950. Identify correspondence as ``Comments on Groundfish Amendment 
13.'' Hearings will be held in New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, 
Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. 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 specific locations, see PUBLIC HEARINGS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council proposes to take action to 
address the revised requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, as amended by the Sustainable 
Fisheries Act of 1996. The Council will consider comments from 
fishermen, interested parties, and the general public on the proposals 
and alternatives described in the public hearing document for the 
Northeast Multispecies FMP. Once it has considered public comments, the 
Council will approve final management measures and prepare a submission 
package to NMFS. There will be an additional opportunity for public 
comment when the proposed rule for this action is published in the 
Federal Register.
    The primary purpose of this Amendment is to develop a program to 
rebuild overfished stocks. Major elements of the proposals in this 
public hearing document include: (1) management options to reduce 
fishing mortality that include reductions in the number of days-at-sea 
(DAS), additional gear requirements, trip/possession limits, and the 
use of ``hard'' Total Allowable Catch systems; (2) options that define 
and clarify the status determination criteria used to guide management 
actions; (3) measures designed to minimize, to the extent practicable, 
adverse effects of fishing on essential fish habitat; (4) measures to 
reduce or control excess harvesting capacity in the fishery; (5) 
measures to address a wide range of administrative issues, including 
but not limited to the development of special access programs, changes 
to the fishing year, and a DAS leasing proposal; (6) revisions to the 
northern shrimp fishery exemption area, restrictions on tuna purse 
seine vessel access to groundfish closed areas, and a proposal for a 
general category scallop exemption area in southern New England. The 
Council will consider all comments received on these proposals until 
the end of the comment period on October 15, 2003.

Public Hearings

    The dates, times, locations, and telephone numbers of the hearings 
are as follows:
    Tuesday, September 9, 2003, at 5 p.m.--Holiday Inn, 290 Highway, 37 
East, Tom's River, NJ 08753; telephone: (732)244-4000;
    Wednesday, September 10, 2003, at 5 p.m.--Best Western East End, 
1830 Route 25, Riverhead, NY 11901; telephone: (631) 369-2200;
    Thursday, September 11, 2003, at 4 p.m.--Holiday Inn South 
Kingston, 3009 Tower Hill Road, South Kingston, RI 02674; telephone: 
(401) 789-1051;
    Monday, September 15, 2003, at 2 p.m. (Recreational issues to begin 
at 7:00 p.m.)--Ramada Inn, 1127 Route 132, Hyannis, MA; telephone: 
(508) 775-1153;
    Monday, September 22, 2003, at 4 p.m.--Tavern on the Harbor, 30 
Western Avenue, Gloucester, MA 01930; telephone (978) 283-4200;
    Tuesday, September 23, 2003, at 2 p.m. (Recreational Issues to 
begin at 7:00 p.m.)--Yoken's Comfort Inn, 1390 Lafayette Road, 
Portsmouth, NH 03801; telephone: (603) 433-3338;
    Wednesday, September 24, 2003, at 5 p.m.--Holiday Inn Ellsworth, 
215 High Street, Ellsworth, ME 04505; telephone (207) 667-9341;
    Thursday, September 25, 2003, at 4 p.m.--DoubleTree Hotel, 1230 
Congress Street, Portland, ME 04102; telephone: (207) 774-5611;
    Tuesday, September 30, 2003, at 4 p.m.--Holiday Inn Express, 110 
Middle Street, Fairhaven, MA 02719; telephone (508) 997-1281.

Special Accommodations

    These hearings 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: August 13, 2003.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-21206 Filed 8-18-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S