[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 134 (Thursday, July 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 39670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11025]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 071006D]


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); 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 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council); its 
Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) Reauthorization Committee; its Ecosystem 
Committee; and, its Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish Committee will hold 
public meetings.

DATES: Tuesday, August 1, 2006, through Thursday, August 3, 2006. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for a meeting agenda.

ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at the Sheraton Society Hill 
Hotel, One Dock Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, telephone 215-238-6000.
    Council Address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 300 S. 
New Street, Dover, DE 19904, telephone 302-674-2331.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director, 
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; telephone: 302-674-2331, 
extension 19.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
    The Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) Reauthorization Committee will meet 
from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. to review Senate Bill 2012 and other 
reauthorization Bills to finalize Council position on MSA 
reauthorization. The Council will convene at 10 a.m. The Council will 
receive a summary report from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. regarding 
outcomes of the 43rd Stock Assessment Review Committee concerning spiny 
dogfish, black sea bass, and red crab. From 12:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. 
the Council will finalize scup management measures for 2007 (2008, 
2009) in conjunction with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 
Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board (Board). 
The Scup Monitoring Committee's recommendations will be reviewed 
regarding harvest levels and commercial management measures to be 
applied for the 2007 fishing year and possibly the next two years 
thereafter, and harvest levels and commercial management measures as 
appropriate for scup will be adopted.
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
    The Council will convene at 8 a.m. and meet in conjunction with the 
Board until noon to finalize summer flounder management measures for 
2007 (2008, 2009). The Council and Board will review the Summer 
Flounder Monitoring Committee's recommendations regarding harvest 
levels and commercial management measures to be applied for the 2007 
fishing year and possibly the next two years thereafter, and harvest 
levels and commercial management measures as appropriate for summer 
flounder will be adopted. From 1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. the Council will 
finalize black sea bass management measures for 2007 (2008, 2009) in 
conjunction with the Board. The Council and the Board will review the 
Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee's recommendations regarding harvest 
levels and commercial management measures to be applied for the 2007 
fishing year and possibly the next two years thereafter, and harvest 
levels and commercial management measures as appropriate for black sea 
bass will be adopted. From 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. the Council will 
finalize Bluefish Management Measures for 2007 in conjunction with the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Bluefish Board by 
reviewing the Bluefish Monitoring Committee's recommendations regarding 
harvest levels and associated management measures to be applied for the 
2007 fishing year, and harvest levels and associated management 
measures for 2007 will be adopted.
Thursday, August 3, 2006
    Concurrent sessions of the Ecosystems Committee and the Squid, 
Mackerel, Butterfish Committee will meet from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. The 
Ecosystems Committee will review strategies to reduce bycatch mortality 
through the adoption and use of circle hooks and other types of hooks 
in selected recreational fisheries. The Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish 
Committee will review and discuss trimester allocation alternatives 
regarding the 2007 fishing year for Loligo squid and adopt a preferred 
alternative. The Council will convene at 9 a.m. Loligo squid 
specifications for 2007 will be discussed from 9 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. 
This discussion will include a review of the Squid, Mackerel, 
Butterfish Committee's recommendations regarding trimester allocations 
and preferred allocation alternatives. The Council will approve and 
adopt a preferred allocation as its Loligo squid specification for 
2007. From 9:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. the Council will review and discuss 
the scup rebuilding plan contained in the current draft of Amendment 14 
to the Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass FMP (pre-Public Hearing 
Document) and its associated environmental assessment (EA). From 11 
a.m. until 1 p.m. the Council will receive a report on comments 
received as a consequence of the recent scoping process for Amendment 
15 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass FMP, and develop a list 
of potential actions to be addressed in Amendment 15. The Council will 
conduct its regular business session from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. to approve 
June Council meeting minutes, approve actions from the June meeting, 
receive various organizational reports, receive Committee reports and 
address any continuing business, i.e., changes to the Council's 
Statement of Operating Practices and Procedures (SOPP's) regarding 
Scientific and Statistical Committee membership, and any new business.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before the Council and its Committees for discussion, these issues may 
not be the subject of formal Council or Committee action during this 
meeting. Council and Committee 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 actions to address such 
emergencies.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to M. Jan Saunders (302-674-2331 extension 18) at 
least five days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: July 10, 2006.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-11025 Filed 7-12-06; 8:45 am]
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