[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 139 (Wednesday, July 21, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43561-43562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1626]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 071504E]


New England 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 New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is 
scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Oversight Committee in 
August, 2004 to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the 
exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be 
brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if 
appropriate.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday, August 9, 2004, at 9:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, 31 Hampshire 
Street, Mansfield, MA 02048; telephone: (508) 339-2200.
    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 (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Groundfish Committee will meet to

[[Page 43562]]

develop the details of the management measures that will be included in 
Framework Adjustment 40B to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP). Framework 40B will include measures that provide 
additional fishing opportunities that target healthy stocks and will 
address several other issues identified since the approval of Amendment 
13. The specific measures that will be considered in this framework 
include: revisions to the conservation tax for the days-at-sea (DAS) 
leasing and transfer programs, eliminating the tonnage upgrade 
restriction from the DAS transfer program, allocating a minimum number 
of Category B (reserve) DAS to vessels that did not receive any 
Category A or B DAS under Amendment 13, creating a haddock Special 
Access Program (SAP) north of Closed Area I, developing a mechanism to 
provide a DAS credit for standing by entangled whales, making a change 
to the season for the Closed Area II Yellowtail Flounder SAP, revising 
the allocation formula for the GB Cod Hook Sector, and creating a SAP 
to target haddock in the Western Gulf of Maine Closed Area using rod 
and reel. The Committee will identify the specific details for the 
proposed measures, will group the measures into distinct alternatives, 
and will develop recommendations for the Total Allowable Catches of 
stocks of concern that will be allocated to the proposed and existing 
SAPs. The Committee may also provide additional guidance to the Plan 
Development Team for the analysis of these measures.
    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

    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 dates.

    Dated: July 16, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E4-1626 Filed 7-20-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S