[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 110 (Tuesday, June 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31966-31967]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1258]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 060204A]


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and its 
Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Committee (with Advisors), 
Executive Committee, and Research Set-Aside Committee will hold public 
meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held on Monday, June 21, through Thursday, 
June 24, 2004. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and 
times.

ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at the Hershey Lodge and 
Convention Center, West Chocolate Avenue and University Drive, Hershey, 
PA; telephone: (717) 533-3311.
    Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 300 S. 
New Street, Dover, DE 19904; telephone: (302) 674-2331.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director, 
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; telephone: 302-6742331, ext. 
19.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish 
Committee with its Advisory Panel will meet from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on 
Monday, June 21 and continue on Tuesday, June 22 from 8 a.m. until 5 
p.m. On Wednesday, June 23, Council will meet from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. 
On Thursday, June 24, the Executive Committee will meet from 8 a.m. to 
9 a.m. The Research Set-Aside Committee will meet from 9 a.m. to 10 
a.m. Council will meet from 10 a.m. until approximately 2 p.m.
    Agenda items for the Council's committees and the Council itself 
are: Review the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid and Butterfish Monitoring 
Committee's recommendations and develop 2005 quota levels and 
associated management measures; Discuss status of the public hearing 
document for Amendment 9 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish 
Plan and develop and adopt preferred alternatives for the following: 
Extending the moratorium on entry to the commercial Illex fishery; 
Allowing for specification of management measures for multiple years; 
Allowing for the transit of vessels through the U.S. Exclusive Economic 
Zone (EEZ) with Illex caught outside of the U.S. EEZ; Revising the 
current overfishing definition for Loligo squid; Implementing measures 
to reduce discards; Identifying essential fish habitat for Loligo squid 
eggs; Review Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Committee's 
recommendations and develop and adopt 2005 quota specifications and 
associated management measures; Discuss implication for clam industry 
of NMFS certification of a new vessel monitoring system; Develop and 
adopt multi-year quota specifications and associated management 
measures for surfclams and ocean quahogs; Address establishment of a 
fishery research trust fund using proceeds from sale of research set-
aside quota; Address use of public workshop to aid in developing 
research set-aside

[[Page 31967]]

priorities; Discuss use of pre-proposals prior to technical review; 
Receive a NMFS presentation on Issues and Options regarding Amendment 2 
to the NMFS Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks Fishery Management 
Plan; the Council will also receive and discuss committee and 
organizational reports including the New England Council's report 
regarding possible actions on herring, groundfish, monkfish, red crab, 
scallops, skates, and whiting; the South Atlantic Council's report; 
Highly Migratory Species (HMS) issues; and act on any new and/or 
continuing business.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before the Council for discussion, these issues may not be the subject 
of formal Council 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 the 
public has been notified of the Council's intent to take final actions 
to address such emergencies.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Debbie Donnangelo at the Council (see ADDRESSES) 
at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: June 2, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E4-1258 Filed 4-7-04; 8:45 am]
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