[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 18, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2913-2914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-455]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 011106E]


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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) will hold 
a 3-day Council meeting on January 31, and February 1 and 2, 2006, to 
consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive 
economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 31, 2006, through 
Thursday, February 2, 2006, 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 by the Bay,88 
Spring Street, Portland, ME; telephone: (207) 775-2311.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

    Following introductions, the Council will receive reports 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 and the Joint New England 
and Mid-Atlantic Council Trawl Survey Committee. During the morning 
session, the Council will review the Habitat Committee's work on 
development of essential fish habitat (EFH) designation alternatives 
and alternatives for Habitat Areas of Particular Concern, both under 
consideration for inclusion in the New England Fishery Management 
Council's (NEFMC) Omnibus EFH Amendment 2. Following a lunch break, 
there will be an open public comment period to address items not listed 
on the agenda. A public hearing is then scheduled to receive comments 
on the revised proposed action (with additional analyses) under 
consideration for Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP). This will be followed by a Council vote to 
approve the final Herring FMP management measures and completion of the 
Final Environmental Impact Statement.

Wednesday, February 1, 2006

    During the morning session of the meeting the Magnuson-Stevens Act 
Committee will provide recommendations for Council approval concerning 
NEFMC positions on a bill currently before Congress. This will be 
followed by a Stock Assessment Public Review Workshop during which the 
status of whiting, mackerel, and Illex squid will be reviewed along 
details of the multispecies virtual population analysis used. The 
remainder the day will be spent on groundfish-related issues. The 
Council intends to approve final action on Framework Adjustment 42 to 
the Northeast Multispecies FMP. Measures may include changes to days-
at-sea (DAS) allocations or use, possession limits and gear 
requirements for commercial vessels. They may also address recreational 
fishing measures, extension of the DAS leasing and transfer programs 
and Special Access Programs, and possible renewal of the Category B 
(regular) DAS Program. Framework Adjustment 3 to the Monkfish FMP also 
will be discussed and possibly approved under the groundfish agenda 
item, given that it may be incorporated into Framework 42. If approved, 
measures would prohibit both limited access multispecies and monkfish 
permit holders from using a multispecies B regular DAS when fishing on 
a monkfish DAS. A third subject to be addressed during discussions on 
groundfish involves consideration of a control date for party/charter 
boats in the Northeast. If approved, vessels participating in the 
fishery after the control date may be treated differently than those in 
the fishery prior to implementation of the control date.

Thursday, February 2, 2006

    The Council will receive a report on the Ecosystems Pilot Project 
stakeholder workshops, a presentation on coastal pollution and marine 
fisheries productivity, and recommendations from the Council's 
Scientific and Statistical Committee and Social Sciences Advisory 
Committee about future directions concerning the incorporation of 
ecosystems principles into fisheries management programs. The Research 
Steering Committee will report on its review of completed research 
projects and research priorities for 2006. During the final agenda item 
the Scallop Committee will ask the Council for approval of a scoping 
document for Amendment 11 to the Scallop FMP. The intent of the action 
contemplated is to provide more effective management for the general 
category scallop fishery and to change the scallop fishing year. Future 
scallop management actions and their timelines also will be discussed. 
The Council also will consider and may approve a recommendation from 
the Capacity Committee to allow permit stacking for limited access 
scallop vessels.
    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

[[Page 2914]]

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: January 12, 2006.
Emily Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-455 Filed 1-17-06; 8:45 am]
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