[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 187 (Tuesday, September 28, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57902-57903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-2400]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 092204C]


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is 
scheduling a public meeting of its Joint Herring Oversight and Advisory 
Panel and Groundfish Oversight Committee and Advisory Panel in October, 
2004 to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the 
exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from these groups will 
be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if 
appropriate.

DATES: The meetings will be held on October 14, 21 & 22, 2004. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held in Portland, ME and Mansfield, MA. 
See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific locations.
    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:

Meeting Dates and Agendas

    Thursday, October 14, 2004 at 9:30 a.m. -- Joint Herring Oversight 
Committee and Advisory Panel Meeting.
    Location: The meeting will be held at the Eastland Park Hotel, 157 
High Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone: (207) 775-5411.
    The Herring Committee and Advisory Panel will continue work on the 
development of alternatives for inclusion in the Draft Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) for Amendment 1 to the Herring 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Committee and Advisory Panel will 
review Draft Amendment 1 alternatives (``strawman'') developed by the 
Herring Plan Development Team (PDT) and Council staff, as well as any 
related Herring PDT and Council staff recommendations. The Committee 
will consider Herring Advisory Panel input and develop recommendations 
regarding the range of alternatives to be included in the Amendment 1 
DSEIS. The Committee and Advisory Panel also will receive an update on 
the development of options for inclusion in Framework Adjustment 40B to 
the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) FMP, which may prohibit fishing 
for herring in the groundfish year-round closed areas.
    Thursday, October 21, 2004 at 9:30 a.m. -- Groundfish Advisory 
Panel Meeting.
    Location: Holiday Inn, 1 Newbury Street, Peabody, MA 01960; 
telephone: (978) 535-4600.
    The Groundfish Advisory Panel will meet to review draft Framework 
40B (FW 40B) to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan 
(FMP). FW 40B will consider modifying the days-at-sea (DAS) leasing and 
transfer programs, creating a special access program (SAP) to target 
Georges Bank haddock and a SAP to target GOM haddock, modifying the 
CAII Georges Bank yellowtail flounder SAP, restricting herring fishing 
in groundfish mortality closed areas, allocating a minimum number of 
Category B (reserve) DAS to permits that did not receive any DAS under 
Amendment 13 allocations, modifying incidental catch TACs, changing 
provisions of the Georges Bank Cod Hook Sector, and providing DAS 
credit for vessels that standby an entangled large whale. The Panel 
will review the proposed measures and analyses of the impacts of those 
measures. They will develop recommendations for the Groundfish 
Oversight Committee's consideration and may also consider other 
business.
    Friday, October 22, 2004 at 9:30 a.m. -- Groundfish Oversight 
Committee Meeting.
    Location: Holiday Inn, 1 Newbury Street, Peabody, MA 01960; 
telephone: (978) 535-4600.
    The Groundfish Oversight Committee will meet to review draft 
Framework 40B (FW 40B) to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP). FW 40B will consider modifying the days-at-sea (DAS) 
leasing and transfer programs, creating a special access program (SAP) 
to target Georges Bank haddock and a SAP to target GOM haddock, 
modifying the CAII Georges Bank yellowtail flounder SAP, restricting 
herring fishing in groundfish mortality closed areas, allocating a 
minimum number of Category B (reserve) DAS to permits that did not 
receive any DAS under Amendment 13 allocations, modifying incidental 
catch TACs, changing provisions of the Georges Bank Cod Hook Sector, 
and providing DAS credit for vessels that

[[Page 57903]]

standby an entangled large whale. The Committee will receive the report 
of the Advisory Panel and review the proposed measures and analyses of 
the impacts of those measures. They will develop recommendations for 
the Council's consideration, which may include the identification of 
preferred alternatives and/or modifications to the specific measures. 
The Committee will also review a Groundfish Plan Development Team 
evaluation of the mortality impacts of proposed experimental fishing 
impacts on mortality targets. The Committee will meet in a closed 
session to review applications to the Council's Groundfish Advisory 
Panel, and may consider other business.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before these groups for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during these meetings. 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

    These meetings 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: September 23, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E4-2400 Filed 9-27-04; 8:45 am]
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