[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 17, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28282-28283]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-2460]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 051105E]


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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) is 
scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Oversight Committee in June, 
2005 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 Wednesday, June 1, 2005 at 9 a.m. 
and on Thursday, June 2, 2005 at 8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Radisson Airport Hotel, 2081 
Post Road, Warwick, RI 02886; telephone: (401) 739-3000.

[[Page 28283]]

    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: The Oversight Committee will receive a 
preliminary report on the updated scallop stock assessment and an 
Advisory Panel report on prioritization of management issues for a 
framework adjustment. The Committee will identify the types of actions 
that the Council should consider for Framework Adjustment 18 (FW 18), 
which will set specifications and make management adjustments for the 
2006 and 2007 fishing years. In addition, the Committee will discuss 
whether more immediate action is needed in 2005 to address changes in 
the resource condition, including those in the Hudson Canyon Area. FW 
18 alternatives may include, but are not limited to the following 
general management measures: triggered adjustments to annual 
allocations and area closures through Notice Action; General Category 
fishery management; bag tags and standard bags (landings monitoring and 
compliance); allocations for vessels with small dredge permits; 
research proposal review process; research priorities; and fishing year 
alignment and framework adjustment frequency.
    In addition, the Committee may consider the following changes for 
the controlled access areas: rotation management fishing mortality 
targets by area; allocations of trips or pounds in controlled access 
areas; Hudson Canyon Area rotation management area policy; Elephant 
Trunk Area allocations for 2007; crew limits in controlled access 
areas; IFQ allocations in controlled access areas; sector allocations 
(harvest cooperatives or other entities); temporary transferability/
stacking of controlled access allocations; improvements in the broken 
trip exemption program, and seasonal access to minimize bycatch and 
effects on spawning (Georges Bank access areas and Elephant Trunk Area 
in 2007). The Committee may also consider setting hard or target total 
allowable catch limits (TAC) for open fishing areas. Their 
recommendations will be presented to the Council at the initial FW 18 
meeting in June 2005.
    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: May 12, 2005.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E5-2460 Filed 5-16-05; 8:45 am]
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