[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 123 (Monday, June 28, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36067-36068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1429]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 062204B]


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION:  Notice of a public meeting.

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SUMMARY:  The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold a 3-day Council meeting on July 13-15, 2004, to consider actions 
affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES:  The meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 beginning at 
9 a.m. and on Wednesday and Thursday, July 14 and 15, beginning at 8:30 
a.m.

ADDRESSES:  The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 
Spring Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone: (207)775-2311.
    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:

Tuesday, July 13, 2004

    Following introductions, the Council will further discuss 
improvements to the Council process and alternative approaches to 
management problems. The Herring Committee, its Plan Development Team 
and Advisory Panel is then scheduled to report on recommendations for 
herring fishery specifications for the 2005 fishing year. The Council 
is scheduled to approve the specifications at this meeting. The day 
will conclude with possible reconsideration of the approach adopted to 
establish limited access qualification criteria now under consideration 
for inclusion Amendment 1 to the Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP). 
The element to be discussed relates only to the proposed criteria that 
requires vessels to document historical landings from one or more 
specific management areas.

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

    During the Wednesday morning session Council will review issues 
identified for inclusion in Framework Adjustment 40B to the Northeast 
Multispecies FMP. It also will receive a report from its Scientific and 
Statistical Committee (SSC) Chairman with SSC advice how to use stock 
assessment advice in light of changing assessments and retrospective 
patterns in fishing mortality and biomass estimates. The afternoon 
period will include an open public comment period during which the 
audience may address issues that are relevant to Council business but 
not listed on the meeting agenda. A report by the Stellwagen Bank 
National Marine Sanctuary Superintendent will follow and include an 
update on the sanctuary's management plan review process which is 
currently underway. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center will provide 
a update new developments related to its bottom trawl surveys.

Thursday, July 15, 2004

    The Habitat/Marine Protected Area Committee will summarize and 
review comments received during the formal scoping period for Essential 
Fish Habitat Omnibus Amendment 2. Following this discussion the Council 
will consider approving goals and objectives for the amendment based on 
the committee's recommendations. Reports on recent activities will be 
provided by 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 last item on the 
agenda will be a presentation of the advisory report from the 39th 
Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop (SAW). The briefing will 
include information on the status of sea scallops and black bass and a 
discussion of the new SAW stock assessment model. Any other outstanding 
business will be addressed at the end of the day.

[[Page 36068]]

    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: June 23, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E4-1429 Filed 6-25-04; 8:45 am]
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