[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 43 (Thursday, March 4, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10212-10213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-4873]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 122001A]


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 three-day Council meeting on March 23-25, 2004, to consider actions 
affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 23, 2004 beginning at 
9:00 a.m. and on Wednesday and Thursday, March 24 and 25, beginning at 
8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Tavern on the Harbor, 30 
Western Avenue, Gloucester, MA, 01930; telephone (978)283-4200. 
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 23, 2004

    Following introductions, the Council will receive 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. During the Herring 
Committee report to follow, the committee chairman will review the 
range of alternatives under consideration for inclusion in Amendment 1 
to the Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Council will review 
recommendations from the Herring Committee, as well as recommendations 
from the Herring Advisory Panel and Plan Development Team. Alternatives 
under consideration may address management area boundaries, area-
specific Total Allowable Catches (TACs), TAC set-asides and in-season 
adjustments, a limited access program, a quota allocation and/or days-
at-sea program, measures to address fixed gear fisheries, and essential 
fish habitat and bycatch.

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

    During the Wednesday session, the Council will review and possibly 
approve positions concerning re-authorization of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Council staff will then 
summarize the results of the scoping meetings recently convened in 
anticipation of the development of an Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat 
Amendment. The Council also will discuss and approve comments on an 
Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning possible changes to 
NOAA Fisheries Essential Fish Habitat Guidelines. The Council will use 
the remainder of the day to consider final action on Framework 
Adjustment 40 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. The framework includes 
management alternatives for

[[Page 10213]]

the use of ``B'' days-at-sea as discussed in Amendment 13 to the FMP. B 
days are among the effort controls included in the amendment which has 
not yet been approved by the Secretary of Commerce.

Thursday, March 25, 2004

    On Thursday, the Council's Research Steering Committee will report 
on and ask for approval of a policy that addresses the review and use 
of new research in the fishery management process. The Council will 
then review and intends to approve comments on the proposed rule to 
implement Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP. Following this 
agenda item the rest of the day will be spent discussing potential 
improvements to Council process as it concerns committee organization 
and decision-making, as well as issues related to fleet structure and 
over-capitalization issues in the groundfish fishery. Any other 
outstanding business will be addressed at the end of the day.
    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 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: March 1, 2004.
Peter Fricke,
Acting Director, Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 04-4873 Filed 3-3-04; 8:45 am]
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