[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 24, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49576-49577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-4630]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 081905A]


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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) will hold 
a 3-day Council meeting in September, to consider actions affecting New 
England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 13 through 
Thursday, September 15, 2005, beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday and 8:30 
a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Express, 110 
Middle Street High Street, Fairhaven, MA; telephone: (508) 997-1281.
    Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

    Following introductions, the Council will review and approve a 
revised policy concerning the election of new officers and conduct 
elections for 2005-06 officers. Reports will follow from the Council 
Chairman and Executive Director, the NMFS Regional Administrator, 
Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council liaisons, NOAA General Counsel and representatives of the U.S. 
Coast Guard, NMFS Enforcement and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 
Commission. There also will be an update on the New England Fleet 
Visioning Project. During the morning session, the Council also will 
receive a briefing on a proposed rule that will address issues related 
to the management of Atlantic tunas, swordfish, shark and billfish 
fisheries. The Magnuson-Stevens Act Committee will provide 
recommendations for Council approval concerning positions on changes to 
the Act. The remainder the day will be spent on habitat and ecosystem-
related issues. There will be a summary of the most recent activities 
currently underway and associated with development of essential fish 
habitat (EFH) Omnibus Amendment 2, as well as consideration and 
approval of a Council policy on Marine Protected Areas. There also will 
be an update on the Habitat/Marine Protected Area (MPA)/Ecosystem 
Committee's progress to develop and recommend alternatives for Habitat 
Areas of Particular Concern in the EFH Omnibus Amendment. The day will 
conclude with a report on jurisdictional issues related to wind farm, 
liquified natural gas and aquaculture projects in the Northeast and an 
update on the Council's ecosystem project.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

    During the Wednesday morning session, the Council receive a 
presentation on the Data Quality Act. This will be followed by an open 
public comment period to address items not listed on the agenda. The 
Scallop Committee will then present its recommendations for measures to 
be included in Framework Adjustment 18 to the Sea Scallop Fishery 
Management

[[Page 49577]]

Plan (FMP). The Council will consider alternatives and provide final 
approval on issues related to area rotation, specifications for trip 
and days-at-sea allocations in 2006 and 2007, a streamlined procedure 
to adjust the Elephant Trunk Area and open area allocations in 2007, 
the general category scallop fishery, crew size limits on controlled 
area access trips and a new bycatch data collection and monitoring 
program. Also included will be changes in controlled access area trip 
exchanges, the broken trip limit exemption program and the research 
set-aside program. Consideration of Framework Adjustment 18 is likely 
to take most of the day on Wednesday.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

    There will be a presentation of the assessment summary from the 
41st Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop. Species to be 
addressed include summer flounder, bluefish and tilefish. This will be 
followed by a report on a video monitoring pilot study that explores 
alternative means to supplement and complement observer activities on 
fishing vessels. The Council also will discuss and consider 
establishing a control date for party and charter boats in the 
multispecies fishery, as recommended by the its Recreational Fishing 
Advisory Panel. During the remainder of the day the Council will take 
further action on Framework Adjustment 42 to the Northeast Multispecies 
FMP by identifying additional measures to be analyzed and further 
considered in the action. These will include the Category B (regular) 
days-at-sea pilot program, a formal rebuilding program for Georges Bank 
yellowtail flounder with associated measures, a standardized bycatch 
reporting methodology, and possible modifications to the rolling 
closures now in effect to reduce groundfish fishing mortality. The 
Transboundary Management Guidance Committee is scheduled to ask for 
approval of its recommendations for the 2006 total allowable catches 
for cod, haddock and yellowtail flounder in a specific area of Georges 
Bank that is governed by the U.S./Canada Resource Sharing 
Understanding. Prior to addressing any other outstanding business, the 
Council will consider and possibly approve retaining the 2005 herring 
specifications through the 2006 fishing year.
    Although other non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda 
may come before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be 
the subjects of formal action during this meeting. Council 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 that 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 date.

    Dated: August 19, 2005.
Emily Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E5-4630 Filed 8-23-05; 8:45 am]
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