[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 4, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 23098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-8859]



[[Page 23098]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 042905A]


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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is 
scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Oversight Committee in 
May, 2005. Recommendations from the committee will be brought to the 
full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

DATES: The 2-day meeting will held on May 23, 2005, at 9:30 a.m. and 
May 24, 2005, at 8:30 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 hold 
a 2-day meeting to identify measures for the biennial adjustment to the 
Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. The schedule for this 
meeting is shown below. Members of the public are cautioned that the 
Committee may deviate from this schedule, if necessary, in order to 
complete its work. While the Committee will make every effort to adhere 
to the agenda, topics may be discussed at different times, or on 
different days, than planned.
    Tentatively identified as Framework Adjustment 42, the biennial 
adjustment will consider a number of groundfish management issues, 
including any changes to measures necessary to achieve Amendment 13 
mortality objectives, revisions to existing Special Access Programs 
(SAPs), a review of the days-at-sea (DAS) leasing program, a review of 
the Category B (regular) DAS Pilot Projects, and other issues. The 
Council will review Committee recommendations at an initial framework 
meeting that will be held at the June 21-23, 2005 Council meeting. 
Final decisions by the Council will take place at the November 15-17, 
2005 Council meeting. If approved, management measures are scheduled to 
be implemented on May 1, 2006.
    Monday, May 23, 2005: Modifications to existing SAPs (such as 
changing the time, error, or haddock catch in the Closed Area I Hook 
Gear Haddock SAP, changing measures in the Eastern US/CA Haddock SAP 
and the Closed Area II yellowtail flounder SAP, etc.), options for the 
DAS leasing program, receipt of a report on the recently held meetings 
to address safety in the groundfish fishery, and review of draft 
management measures already approved by the Council for inclusion in 
this action.
    Tuesday, May 24, 2005: Consideration of options for addressing the 
concern that vessels fishing with handgear while using DAS could not 
meet the qualification criteria for DAS allocations under Amendment 13, 
recommendations to reduce bycatch of haddock, a proposal for a gillnet 
sector, and a preliminary review of landings statistics for calendar 
and fishing year 2005 (if available).
    Other business may be discussed by the Committee if time is 
available.
    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: April 29, 2005.
Peter H. Fricke,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-8859 Filed 5-3-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S