[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 37 (Friday, February 25, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 9266]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-3706]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 022205B]


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 
March, 2005. Recommendations from the committee will be brought to the 
full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

DATES: The meeting will held on Monday, March 14, 2005, 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council (978) 465-0492. Requests for 
special accommodations should be addressed to the New England Fishery 
Management Council, 50 Water Street, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: 
(978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Groundfish Oversight Committee will 
discuss Framework Adjustment 41 (FW 41) to the Northeast Mutlispecies 
Fishery Management Plan and will continue work on the biennial 
adjustment. FW 41 will specify the requirements for participation in 
the Closed Area I Haddock Special Access Program by vessels that are 
not members of the Georges Bank Cod Hook Sector. The Committee will 
focus on designing measures to reduce the risk that participation by 
these vessels will result in a race to fish to harvest the allowable 
haddock Total Allowable Catch (TAC). They will also consider ways to 
manage the incidental catch TAC for Georges Bank cod that is harvested 
in this program and may address other details as well. The Committee's 
recommendations will be considered by the Council at the March 29-31, 
2005, Council meeting. The Committee will also continue to review 
issues and develop options for the biennial framework adjustment that, 
if adopted, will be implemented May 1, 2006. At this meeting the 
committee will focus on several issues that do not require information 
on current fishing mortality and stock status. These will include, but 
are not limited to, modifications to the days-at-sea transfer program, 
a proposal for a different management approach in the northern Gulf of 
Maine, alternatives to the Amendment 13 default measures, and issues 
related to vessels that possess both a scallop trawl and limited access 
groundfish permit.
    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: February 22, 2005.
Peter H. Fricke,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-3706 Filed 2-24-05; 8:45 am]
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